My Vote Matters
One thing I hate to hear from people is that they have only one vote, so why even bother? Let me tell you why you need to bother. Because if you do not vote and stay apathetic you end up with the kind of people in power that we have now and have the potential of seeing as President and Vice President of the United states of America. If you do not vote, as far as I am concerned, you have no right to complain about your leaders.
With that being said I wish to break down where my votes are going on Nov. 4th:
President - John McCain
US Representative, District 6 - Jeff Flake
State Senator, District 18 - Russell Pearce
State Representatives, District 18 - Cecil Ash, Steve Court
Corporation Commission - Marian McClure, Bob Stump, Barry Wong
County Board of Supervisors, District 2 - Don StapleyCounty Assesor - Keith Russell
County Attorney - Andrew Thomas
County Recorder - Helen Purcell
County School Superintendent - Don Covey
Sheriff - Joe Arpaio
County Treasurer - Charles "Hos" Hoskins
North Mesa Justice of the Peace - Lester Pearce
North Mesa Constable - Ed Malles
Maricopa County Special Healthcare District 2 - Harlan Stratton
Mesa Unified School District #4 - Steven Peterson, Kate Ali'Varius, Lance Entrekin
The propositions in my state:
Prop 100: No new Taxes on Real Estate - YES
Prop 101: Freedom of Choice in Healthcare - YES
Prop 102: Defense of Marriage act - YES
Prop 105: Majority Rules inititive - NO
Prop 200: Payday loans - NO
Prop 201: Homeowners; Bill of Rights - NO
Prop 202: Stop Illegal Hiring - NO
Prop 300: Legislative Salaries - NO
Prop 400: Residential Inspections - NO
Question #1: Public Safety Bonds - YES
Question #2: Street Bonds - YES
Get out and Vote People!
With that being said I wish to break down where my votes are going on Nov. 4th:
President - John McCain
US Representative, District 6 - Jeff Flake
State Senator, District 18 - Russell Pearce
State Representatives, District 18 - Cecil Ash, Steve Court
Corporation Commission - Marian McClure, Bob Stump, Barry Wong
County Board of Supervisors, District 2 - Don StapleyCounty Assesor - Keith Russell
County Attorney - Andrew Thomas
County Recorder - Helen Purcell
County School Superintendent - Don Covey
Sheriff - Joe Arpaio
County Treasurer - Charles "Hos" Hoskins
North Mesa Justice of the Peace - Lester Pearce
North Mesa Constable - Ed Malles
Maricopa County Special Healthcare District 2 - Harlan Stratton
Mesa Unified School District #4 - Steven Peterson, Kate Ali'Varius, Lance Entrekin
The propositions in my state:
Prop 100: No new Taxes on Real Estate - YES
Prop 101: Freedom of Choice in Healthcare - YES
Prop 102: Defense of Marriage act - YES
Prop 105: Majority Rules inititive - NO
Prop 200: Payday loans - NO
Prop 201: Homeowners; Bill of Rights - NO
Prop 202: Stop Illegal Hiring - NO
Prop 300: Legislative Salaries - NO
Prop 400: Residential Inspections - NO
Question #1: Public Safety Bonds - YES
Question #2: Street Bonds - YES
Get out and Vote People!
Comments
Jason
III
Vote NO on 200 if you want to put a stop to the outrageous 391% interest rates that payday lenders are charging the hardworking families of Arizona.
as far as Prop 200 goes -
Arizona has a law on the books that allow payday lenders to operate in the State through July 1, 2010. Prop 200 extends that law out indefinitely and adds additional regulations on the payday lending industry.
This law was put together by the Payday Loan industry and is being promoted by a very deceptive campaign. It advertises itself as a proposition that will put needed regulations on the payday lending industry, but if this passes it will restrict the legislature's ability to modify and/or make any new regulations.
The payday lenders are worried that the law allowing their existence will expire without being re-authorized, so they are doing this as an end-run around the legislature.
Because it is a ballot initiative - it will be very difficult for the legislature to modify any regulations on the industry if this passes. They have plenty of time to persuade the legislature to re-authorize the law and pass other needed regulations, it does not need to be passed by initiative petition.
I am a free-market capitalist, so I don't care if payday lending exists, but initiative petitions are not where these types of regulations should be passed.
Prop 105 amends the constitution to require that a majority of qualified electors be required to pass any future initiative measure that seek to raise taxes, fees or other revenue, or mandates a spending obligation – whether by a private person, legal entity, labor union or the state.
In plain English - this means that any spending or taxing initiative that is on the ballot will have to pass by a majority of all registered voters, whether they all voted or not.
Advantages:
Will bring an almost absolute halt to spending measures and tax increases by initiative petition.
Disadvantages:
Counts people who do not bother to vote as “no” votes.
Depending on how this law gets interpreted by courts, it could completely shut down the initiative ability of the citizens of Arizona
I agree with the intentions behind this proposition - to limit the number of spending and taxing initiatives passed into law directly by the people. Unfortunately this proposition is the equivalent of killing a cockroach with a .357 Magnum. The cockroach is definitely dead, but you have probably caused serious damage to something else unintentionally. A shoe would have worked just fine.
In this case - a better proposition would require a supermajority of votes cast to pass spending and tax initiatives. It would eliminate most of the stupid issues that we have passed recently without slamming the door on this ability forever.