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Friday, March 17, 2006
Signature Season: Decline to sign
As it often is, this year's gap between the end of the legislative session and the start of the full-fledged election campaign will be filled with attempts to garner the signatures to put various initiatives and referendums on the November ballot.
Three measures voters will soon have foisted upon them are such poor public policy choices that they shouldn't even make it to the ballot. When confronted by signature solicitors for any or all of them, we recommend you decline to sign.
Initiative 933 would have us repeat the mistake made by Oregon voters in forcing the state to either allow property owners to violate land-use regulations or pay them to abide by them.
Initiative 917, ugly stepsister of last year's Initiative 912, would strip the state of $2.7 billion in transportation revenue over the next 16 years and cripple local and regional governments' ability to fund transportation improvements and maintenance. In rejecting I-912, voters confirmed they know safety and congestion relief don't come from the tooth fairy.
Referendum 65 would toss out the Legislature's historic vote this year, after 30 years of struggle, to add sexual orientation to the state's law banning discrimination in employment, lending and housing. Putting people's fundamental civil liberties to a public straw vote sets a bad precedent. What's next to be subject to public whim -- voting rights, integration, religious freedom?
The choice to sign or not sign is, of course, yours to make. But please make it an informed choice.
Tell us what's on your mind.
 | |
| While perfectly legal, are public initiatives and referendums a good way to make law? | |
 46.2%Yes. |
53.2% No. |
| 0.7% Don't know or care. |
|
| Total Votes: 444 | |
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