To a point! Let’s not get carried away!
We are not insensitive to the frustration of Wisconsin Democrats. (It makes us giddy.) Thanks to state Supreme Court Justice Janet (spell it with me) Protasiewicz, the party of progressivism gerrymandered legislative districts with blue-colored crayons but voters still rewarded Republicans with a 54 to 45 majority in the Assembly and 18 to 15 in the state Senate.
Now Legislative Republicans are putting to referendum this April a constitutional amendment requiring Voter I.D. For some reason, Voter I.D. drives Democrats bezerko. They remain convinced that stupid people won’t be able to vote for them if they have to prove who they are. Voter I.D. is already law but Republicans (with some reason) want insurance against the unthinkable — Democrat control of the legislature. The beauty part of these constitutional referenda is that the Democrat in the governor’s office cannot veto.
Tony Evers is frustrated that legislative Republicans have been working statewide referenda like that deaf, dumb and blind kid at the pinball machine. Last November, 70.5% of Wisconsin voters approved their latest, mandating that only citizens could vote. (You can see how Democrats would be chagrined!)
That’s why Gov. Evers is throwing long. (Desperate people do desperate things.) The governor wants to institute the progressive-era “reform” of direct citizens’ initiative into the state constitution. Direct initiative allows voters to bypass elected leaders to place binding legislation and/or constitutional amendments onto the ballot, given enough signatures.
Gov. Evers wants ordinary citizens to be able to put their own easter eggs on the ballot, He’s convinced Wisconsin voters would approve unlimited abortion, legalize pot, and ban firearms — without those pesky Republican lawmakers.
Be careful for what you wish
No wonder California is a smoky mess. The state (unlike Wisconsin) has had direct initiative since 1911, the heyday of progressivism. Two elections ago, Uber, Lyft and other companies sponsored California Proposition 22 to exempt themselves from state law limiting or prohibiting the use of contract workers. Voters said, what the hey?! Class, does that tell you how special interests can manipulate direct initiative? (Although it was bad legislation to begin with.)
There’s reason why citizens of a republic elect knowledgeable people to represent them. In 2020, California voters were asked to rule on kidney dialysis regulations, stem-cell medical research funding, replacing cash bail with a risk assessment system — plus nine more propositions. Ballots ran to six pages of small print.
California voters have been asked to simultaneously entertain abolishing and expediting the death penalty, to weigh dueling propositions about plastic bags, to advise the state legislature to overturn US Supreme Court decisions (it cannot do that), and now, on two different occasions, to weigh in on the proper running of dialysis clinics. — Vox online
Blaska’s Bottom Line: Fret not! Direct citizen initiative ain’t happening here in Wisconsin! Tony Evers is burying the direct initiative into his budget proposal. Republicans have sharp pruning scissors. But Democrats and their amen corner at The Capital Times will rent garments and wail about gagging vox populi. In a brief nod to objectivity, we acknowledge that Republicans may be gaming the system with their legislative referenda. At least legislators have some fix on the totality of state gummint.
8 responses to “Hooray for citizens’ democracy”
I laughed out loud when Vos did his Steve Carrell impression from “The Big Short” when emphasizing ZERO.
Agreed. There is reason that the US is a republic and not a straight democracy. In one of his letters to Mr Adams, Mr Jefferson wrote that he was worried that a democracy could spell the doom of the nascent country. He was worried that with a direct democracy the majority workers and non-property owners could simply vote away property from the owners, which would be disaster. THAT is why our republican system of governance was set up. Ever’s attempt at popular governance is nothing but socialism. It hasn’t worked well at all around the world–look at impoverished Zimbabwe, formally productive Rhodesia…..
“(Socialism) hasn’t worked well at all around the world”
C’mon, Steve, that’s because the…um…RIGHT people weren’t in charge, or its inherent…er…advantages weren’t properly administered, am I right?
Anywho, The Gotch would argue that it has worked well in at least one respect: Killing 100 Million + People has, if inadvertently, mitigated over-population…
The Gotch
“We acknowledge that republicans may be gaming the system.” WHAT??? TELL ME IT ISN”T TRUE. DEAR GOD. THE HORROR.
“Only citizens can vote” and “photo ID required to vote” how will democracy survive? I hope the 70% that voted for the citizen amendment come out and vote for the photo ID amendment.
Excuse a cavil from yer local grammar cop, but one “rends” one’s garment, one doesn’t “rent” it (except it dire circumstances).
Yup, I noticed that too…..but one can rent a tux for a prom, and I don’t think that is a dire circumstance….
Well, not being able to afford a tux might be regarded as a dire circumstance. But I love your cavil.