Fall ballot -- a muddle of measures (proposition information)

[Kadie]

Fall ballot -- a muddle of measures

Lynda Gledhill, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau
Monday, September 27, 2004



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Sacramento -- Sixteen ballot measures dealing with everything from stem cell research, to election rules, Indian gambling and health insurance await voters, and the sheer complexity and length of the November ballot are likely to frustrate many voters.

Several measures deal with the same topic or are designed to cancel out a competing initiative. One proposition was ordered split into two by a judge, and another is an orphan that even its authors no longer support.

The muddle may make it even harder for many of the measures to pass, something that is under normal circumstances a daunting challenge, said Darry Sragow, a Democratic political consultant who is not involved in any of the campaigns. Historically, 1 in 3 propositions that are put on the ballot through signature gathering is approved, while measures put on by the Legislature are approved two-thirds of the time.

"Propositions are always confusing to California voters," Sragow said. "They love the fact that propositions exist, since it is the closest thing to direct democracy. But they are inherently suspicious of them, because they believe they are usually not getting the full story."

Supporters and opponents of the ballot measures could spend more than $100 million this fall, but no one proposition appears to stand out in the crowded field, said Bruce Cain, director of the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley.


more...
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/09/27/MNGSK8VLD21.DTL

[Spinzonner]

1. And the Voter Information pamphlets this time are

designed to give postal delivery persons hernias

[slackmaster]

2. 165 pages

If it happened in any other state it would be unbelievable.

Check out Pete Stahl's take on the propositions:

http://www.peterates.com

[LWolf]

3. I got mine a few days ago.

I spent a while doing a quick, preliminary look through the propositions; never even got to candidates. Am I the only one who experiences a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I contemplate the time to wade through all of that, and past all of the accompanying bullshit/rhetoric, to try to make an informed choice?

[slackmaster]

4. Making an informed choice is not always possible

Very few ballot propositions are written by people who have everyones' best interests in mind. Both proponents and opponents of most measures have an axe to grind, and the format (as compared to the normal legislative process) tends to force people on either side into a propaganda-writing competition.

When the formal debate is limited to a brief written statement in support, another in opposition, and an even shorter exchange of rebuttals no matter how complex the issue, truth is often the first casualty. When matters are discussed in the Legislature where they are supposed to be decided there is better opportunity for public input through our elected representatives.

OTOH the reason we have so many initiatives is the Legislature is out of touch.

Here's my solution to the voters' dilemma. For each proposition:

- Read the analyst's summary, the arguments, and the rebuttals.

- Take a close look at who is supporting and who is opposing each measure.

- If you haven't made a decision yet, vote NO. A proposition gets put on the ballot because someone wants to change existing law. Unless that change is clearly in the public interest, someone is probably pushing an agenda for personal gain. If you aren't sure the proposed change is good, usually it's best to leave well enough alone.

If you can't decide it's probably because someone is lying or being deliberately unclear about what a proposition will do, or about the consequences of not approving it.

Under no circumstances pay any attention to "slate mailers" or doorknob hangers. They are always wolves in sheeps' clothing.

Don't just abstain if you aren't sure; vote NO.

[LWolf]

5. That's a great summary!

I do exactly those things. It's just frustrating to be presented with so much to wade through, when the first assumption has to be that both sides have deliberately applied spin to cloud the issues. It's a good thing that manuscript came when it did; it will take me a month to work my way through it!

[Ranec]

6. Thank you, very good advice for CA. /nt