Daily Archive
Stories Posted on August 18, 2008
Honolulu judge rules in favor of anti-rail petition
Category: City Government · State: Hawaii · Source: Bizjournals
A Honolulu judge ruled Thursday that the city clerk’s office must accept an anti-rail petition. Members of Stop Rail Now say they believe the ruling paves the way to allow Oahu residents to vote on a proposed ordinance this fall that reads, “Honolulu mass transit shall not include trains or rail.” Circuit Court Judge Karl Sakamoto’s decision means the city clerk must accept and verify within 20 days whether Stop Rail Now has gathered a sufficient number of valid signatures. City Clerk Denise De Costa had argued the petition was delivered too late to be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot. Stop Rail Now said it has collected more than 49,000 signatures and will deliver the petition Thursday afternoon.
Crafton turns in signatures for English Only
Category: English · State: Tennessee · Source: Nashville City Paper
Councilman Eric Crafton turned in the signatures of reportedly 12,503 registered Davidson County voters to the Metro Clerk's office Thursday, clearing the way for the English Only charter amendment proposal to be on the ballot in November. Crafton also conceded at least a portion of the approximately $20,000 the petition drive cost came from a national English First group. He said he did not know what percentage. "I wasn't the one adding them up, so I don't know how much," Crafton said. The signatures will need to be verified by the Davidson County Election Commission, which Crafton said should take about two weeks. The English Only charter amendment proposal states that no one has a right to any Metro government services in any language except English. Crafton said the Nashville English First group, which sponsored the initiative raised about $20,000 for the effort, which primarily consisted of mailing petitions to voters. Crafton did not disclose the funding for the initiative, but said he would do so once the signed petitions were verified by the Election Commission.
NOVEMBER BALLOT: Property tax petition advances
Category: Taxes · State: Nevada · Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Secretary of State Ross Miller on Thursday rejected a challenge to Sharron Angle's initiative petition to cap property tax rates, sending it to the November general election. The constitutional amendment, which would limit annual property tax increases to 2 percent per year on all property, faced a challenge from the state teachers union aimed at keeping it off the ballot. After a review of the complaint and the response from Angle's attorney, the concerns over the affidavits filed by signature gatherers were rejected, said Matt Griffin, deputy secretary of state for elections. Barring a successful legal challenge by the Nevada State Education Association in the courts, the measure will be on the ballot, he said. It will have to pass twice, in November and again in 2010, before it can take effect.
Gloucester residents initiate recall of mayor
Category: City Government · State: Massachusetts · Source: Boston Globe
A dozen Gloucester residents representing several community groups have initiated a recall of Mayor Carolyn Kirk, saying her handling of the high school "pregnancy pact" brouhaha was the final straw in her failure to lead the city "fairly and effectively." In a petition being circulated, the group also says the mayor has failed to ensure open government by refusing to investigate and prosecute waste and fraud, particularly in the police and public works departments. Annette Dion, a 45-year-old private music teacher in Gloucester, said the resignation last week of Gloucester High principal Joseph Sullivan, a decision he said was based on what he termed slander by the mayor, was the boiling point in the group's built-up frustrations with Kirk's administration. "We don't agree with Carolyn Kirk's style of leading the city," Dion said. "In many instances, she's not met with people who have asked. She's not really been very good with the public."