OR ballot to end hunting, fishing, ranching, dairy farming. . .

[Irrelevant]

Sorry, but stupid beliefs is a condition of democracy.

Doesn't mean I can't soapbox against it!

 

[elkduds]

I'm not surprised that all of the diehard democrats on here have somehow missed this thread.

I hope the voters in Oregon are able to kill this.

I posted the thread, FFS. Just as there is an extreme right, there is an extreme left. Democrats like me value public lands; fair distribution of wealth; separation between business, church and state; human rights over corporate privileges, that kind of radical politics. Rather than current extremes of polarization, why aren't our politicians racing to the middle? Plenty of room there.

 

[bayoublaster7527]

Sorry, but stupid beliefs is a condition of democracy. I see you picked Scientology to make a point, but would you be surprised to see a state try to make Christianity the official religion despite the Establishment Clause? We took until the 19th amendment to give women the right to vote and some people thought that was fringe. We have to be comfortable with the majority deciding on these ideas. Otherwise we just get one batshit crazy guy doing it.

Agree with a lot of what both of you have stated. Maybe the answer is raising the bar a bit on what gets put on the ballot. States like Oregon and Colorado set the bar so low for ballot initiatives that they really invite lots of fringe ideas. Some do get rejected, which is good, but many gain unwarranted “credibility”. In a constitutional republic form of government elected representatives make laws. That generally requires some level of compromise and after the fact accountability. If a poor policy is enacted via ballot initiative there is not a requirement to figure out how to implement or pay for it and after the fact no one to hold accountable for the failures. I say the bar for such ballot initiatives should be quite high and reserved for urgent policy changes that are more like 60/40 or 70/30 issues.

 

[SAJ-99]

If a poor policy is enacted via ballot initiative there is not a requirement to figure out how to implement or pay for it and after the fact no one to hold accountable for the failures. I say the bar for such ballot initiatives should be quite high and reserved for urgent policy changes that are more like 60/40 or 60/30 issues.

Only about half the states (mostly in the west, not sure why) have ballot initiatives and a good percentage are indirect so they don't immediately go to law. It is a way for the average person to suggest a change. Sort of a mix of a representative republic and true democracy. I don't mind it but know I have to expect some crazy stuff on occasion. Like I said, I think the problem is most people (certainly hunters fall into this group) want to ignore politics and just hit the button with the letter they like. They will keep taking in the shorts until they start paying attention.