Monthly Archive for Opinion
Opinion Stories Posted in December 2007
Opinion: Dan Walters: Odd allies, confusion bend vote
Category: Gaming · State: California · Source: Sacramento Bee
As voters begin to focus on the Feb. 5 presidential primary - and especially on the array of non-presidential ballot measures - they'll need a scorecard to follow the players. While all campaigns on ballot measures tend to be misleading, those lining up for and against the Feb. 5 measures are an especially odd collection of bedfellows.
Opinion: Electoral vote proposal a partisan effort to manipulate outcome
Category: Election Reform · State: California · Source: Capitol Weekly
It’s ba-aaaaack! Like the hockey-masked assailant in the “Friday the 13th” movies that refuses to die, the GOP ballot measure designed to ensure that its presidential candidate wins nearly half of California’s electoral votes has been revived. And it’s got Democratic leaders nervous.
Opinion: Use initiative procedure to toss out 40B
Category: Property Rights · State: Massachusetts · Source: South Coast Today
The Standard-Times editorialized last week that instead of repealing the "affordable housing" provision of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40B, we should fix it. It is essentially the "don't throw out the baby with the bath water" argument. Unfortunately, the Legislature has had 40 years to "fix" 40B, but has instead repeatedly chosen to turn a tin ear to its constituents.
Opinion: The wrong way to reform term limits
Category: Term Limits · State: California · Source: Los Angeles Times
California's elected officials have failed this year to take care of any pressing state problems -- except their own. No healthcare reform. No prison reform. No solution to the multibillion-dollar budget deficit.
Opinion: LTE: Give Independents more opportunities
Category: Initiative and Referendum · State: Pennsylvania · Source: The Morning Call
Regarding the Nov. 28 op-ed column by G. Terry Madonna and Michael L. Young, ''Reform without change is Pennsylvania's peril'': The reform agenda must include an open and inclusive, non-partisan political process. As more and more voters become Independent (35 to 40 percent of the electorate) we clearly need to restructure the political process to give Pennsylvanians more direct political control over policy making, government, and the culture of political life. We cannot depend on the Democrats or Republicans to reform themselves. They won't! Independents can be the driving force to break up the partisanship of the two major parties and invigorate our democracy.
Opinion: Modified I&R could work
Category: Initiative and Referendum · State: New Jersey · Source: nj.com
Another election season is over, and the status quo in Trenton is pretty much intact. Yet the ballot questions showed that voters are clearly not content. Rather, people feel that they have no real ability to influence the direction of state government. Districts are carved to protect incumbents. Choices seem without consequence; neither party in Trenton has been able to deliver property tax reform or bring truly thorough and efficient education to our cities. The legislature is overly influenced by special interests, the courts step in with mandates, and the people feel they have no ability to bring about needed change. They feel that all they can do is send a message of discontent by voting "no" on more debt or more fiscal gimmicks.
Other Monthly Archives for Opinion
- December 2007 (6)