Monthly Archive for Opinion
Opinion Stories Posted in August 2008
Opinion: Commentary - A modern slingshot for voters
Category: Initiative and Referendum · State: · Source: Washington Examiner
Oddsmakers didn’t favor diminutive David over giant Goliath. But in that mismatch of biblical proportions, David had a secret weapon: a slingshot. The voter initiative process — whereby citizens in 24 states and a majority of our country’s localities can place issues directly on the ballot for a decision by their fellow citizens — looks like nothing bigger than a slingshot next to the Goliath powers of government. But sometimes the slingshot works. From the property tax-cutting Proposition 13 in the 1970s to the sweep of term limits in the 1990s, citizens have increased their control over elected officials using this one weapon. Of course, had Goliath been smarter, or allotted more time for reflection prior to meeting David’s rock, he would no doubt have advocated restrictions on the possession and use of slingshots.
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