What's up with all these proposals?

[Danny]

People in Michigan have turned on their television and seen every last proposals soon to added to the Michigan Constitution:

Proposal 1 explains to end Public Act 4 [[known as the emergency manager law). A yes vote will have cities and school districts on the brink of financial collapse to be have a emergency manager. He or she will total control of city, township school board governance. A EM can have the power to keep or fire any political or school administrator out of government for good, de-incorporate or proposed to merge or annex cities and public services to save and recover money.

A no vote would end the EM law and keep the old emergency financial manager law.

Proposal 2 is for the Collective Bargaining Amendment for all Union members from its teachers to even the Detroit Department of Water and Sewage workers. A yes vote means collective bargining for all Michigan union employees.

A no vote means collective bargining will end, unions could be illegal, non-union employees could be hired thus changing Michigan right-to-work tactics.

Proposal 3 is for Renewable Energy Amendment for the People of Michigan. A yes vote means to bring 25% clean buring energy resources from wind turbine generators to solar energy to the market by 2025; Limit to not more than 1% per year electric utility rate increases charged to consumers only. Allow annual extensions of the deadline to meet the 25% standard in order to prevent rate increases over the 1% limit.
to achieve compliance with the renewable energy standard. Require the legislature to enact additional laws to encourage the use of Michigan made equipment and employment of Michigan residents.

A no vote will kill the energy renewable resource projects and also green jobs for the People of Michigan. We all be stuck with dangerous resources of coal [[coke mining) and nuclear energy. Higher utility rates that will effect many low-and fixed income families in their homes for good.

Proposal 4 is for Home Health Care Amendment

A yes vote will allow in-home care workers to bargain collectively with the Michigan Quality Home Care Council [[MQHCC). Continue the current exclusive representative of in-home care workers until modified in accordance with labor laws. Require MQHCC to provide training for in-home care workers, create a registry of workers who pass background checks, and provide financial services to patients to manage the cost of in-home care. Preserve patients’ rights to hire in-home care workers who are not referred from the MQHCC registry who are bargaining unit members.

A no vote will end another form of collective bargining for home health care workers and other required training. Thus putting senior citizens and people with disabilities at risk by having companies hire unqualified non-union health care workers.

proposal 5 is for the Michigan Taxation Amendment.

A yes vote will allow the Michigan State Legislature to have 2/3 majority to plan and pass or not any taxation from public school education to fixing our roads.

A no vote will revert back to old state constitution and to have state lawmakers do whatever they want to increase, debate, make filibusters, put on bureaucratic review, decrease or toss taxation plans in the circular file for good. Thus making our state lose the ability for their internal improvements of our regional infrastructure.

Proposal 6 Is for the Michigan International Bridge Initiative.

A yes vote will let the people decide to have a new bridge from Michigan to Canada without disturbing any historical and natural enviroments and communities. The proposal will prevent any governor of Michigan's claims that the proposed international bridge building will not used any of its tax dollars. [[ In which it will be a constant omissional and comissional false witness!)

A no vote will let the international bridge work continue with devastating enviromental and community results with the governer's power. It's claim not to have tax dollars put in the bridge work will be a constant omissional and comissional false witness!

Since I set things staight simple and complex from these proposals, now you all discuss and decide the fate of this State of Michigan. Power is to the people not the government.

[guito13]

No bias at all detected in your write ups

[stromberg2]

Thanks, Danny!

Stromberg2

[Jimaz]

You can get your sample ballot here.

[DetroitPlanner]

Its a matter of legislature not wanting to make a tough choice and passing the buck.

[JBMcB]

Its a matter of legislature not wanting to make a tough choice and passing the buck.

Or special interests attempting to bypass the legislature.

[DetroitPlanner]

Or special interests attempting to bypass the legislature.

True, but if the legislature wanted to smackdown the special interests they could, but they choose no to, and pass the buck. If these things don't pass expect to see them again.

[antongast]

I've got opinions on all of these, but Prop. 5 is the worst goddamn thing I ever heard. Even if you've never voted, don't ever plan on voting, and don't care about any candidates or issues, you should still turn out this year and vote No on 5. Leave the rest of your ballot blank for all I care. The idea that this might [[probably will) pass scares me absolutely shitless.

[313WX]

You can get your sample ballot here.

Oh geez, what a mess.

I don't remember ever seeing that many proposals on the ballot.

[313WX]

I've got opinions on all of these, but Prop. 5 is the worst goddamn thing I ever heard. Even if you've never voted, don't ever plan on voting, and don't care about any candidates or issues, you should still turn out this year and vote No on 5. Leave the rest of your ballot blank for all I care. The idea that this might [[probably will) pass scares me absolutely shitless.

Proposal #5 is definitely very bad, but for me Proposal #1 rightfully takes the place of the "worst goddamn thing I ever heard."

[nativegirl]

I've got opinions on all of these, but Prop. 5 is the worst goddamn thing I ever heard. Even if you've never voted, don't ever plan on voting, and don't care about any candidates or issues, you should still turn out this year and vote No on 5. Leave the rest of your ballot blank for all I care. The idea that this might [[probably will) pass scares me absolutely shitless.

I think the City of Detroit Clerk said its the first time in Detroit's history that there are so many proposals that a second ballot is needed! Even the second ballot is two sided. I am helping an elderly family member with hers and man when I saw it and ran most of the proposals, mainly the County and City proposals, I got a headache. I plan on attending a forum on October 13th at one of these locations: www.freep.com/article/20121005

[Zacha341]

Ditto on that. This election will have two ballot sheets total. The more you're prepare to handle that the better. Hell for the election workers to manage all of that at precinct closing time. Whew!

Thanks, Danny!

Stromberg2

[Zacha341]

Good site... lots of detail here. Thanks!

You can get your sample ballot here.

[leapfrog]

What do we expect?

We opened this can of worms when we decided we had to "protect" marriage by adding an Amendment to the Constitution banning the recognition of same sex marriage. All that did was demonstrate to special interest groups that you could simply amend the Constitution and add just about anything you wanted to. Who needs the Legislature?

Once we as a State decided to approve the ban on recognizing same sex relationships [[in the interest of full disclosure, I am Gay and have been with my spouse for 23 years), I realized that [[1) the majority of the electorate is incredibly ingorant on most issues they vote on and [[2) this state deserves what it gets as a result of that ignorance.

Wait until the next election cycle, you will see a slew of proposals again that have no business being in the Constitution of our State. It's quickly becoming the new normal.

[webband1]

You think two sheets is bad? In Florida, their ballot is 11 pages long this year.

[leapfrog]

You think two sheets is bad? In Florida, their ballot is 11 pages long this year.

Ouch! Thats beyond ridiculous

[webband1]

Ouch! Thats beyond ridiculous

Apparently the FL Supreme Court slapped their Legislature for writing misleading summaries about proposals for the ballot, so the Legislature decided to simply print the ENTIRE bill on the ballot for some proposals. 1/2 of those pages are just absolute legalese.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgo...vember/1250664

Edit: Not sure if it's 11 pages, but they have 11 proposals state-wide, not to mention any city/county/etc stuff... Still, yikes.

[michimoby]

What do we expect?

...I realized that [[1) the majority of the electorate is incredibly ingorant on most issues they vote on and [[2) this state deserves what it gets as a result of that ignorance.

Well, let's certainly hope that nobody votes on these amendments based on the original poster's "objective" viewpoints.

[leapfrog]

Well, let's certainly hope that nobody votes on these amendments based on the original poster's "objective" viewpoints.

I don't expect Danny [[or anyone else on this forum) to write an objective piece. The whole point of these discussions is to express an opinion, is it not? If we convince others to our way of thinking, so much the better, but I actually like reading the opinions of those whom I disagree with - it often gives me food for thought.

[poobert]

Am I stupid for wanting to vote no on all those amendments to the State Constitution? Normally I am pretty liberal but those all stink of special interests, right and left. I'd be in favor of No. 2 except how they seem to have snuck in the part about overriding STATE LAW.

These fuckers already have unlimited $$$ to spend as "free speech" so why don't they just go buy legislators the old fashioned way? Instead they want to permanently wipe their asses with our constitution just so we can be a total plutocracy.

[Hermod]

You think two sheets is bad? In Florida, their ballot is 11 pages long this year.

Because every state proposal, county proposal, and municipality proposal on the ballot is printed in full in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Each proposal thus takes up a lot of paper.

[webband1]

Because every state proposal, county proposal, and municipality proposal on the ballot is printed in full in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Each proposal thus takes up a lot of paper.

I don't think each ballot has all languages on it. There are simply ballots available in each language.

[nativegirl]

Ditto on that. This election will have two ballot sheets total. The more you're prepare to handle that the better. Hell for the election workers to manage all of that at precinct closing time. Whew!

And I am one of those many pollworkers for the City of Detroit. I was thinking about sitting this election out!

[Zacha341]

^^^^ Been there done that too. Sorta glad I am not working at the polls this year! Can you imagine the amount of 'spoiled' ballots there may be, if voters are not careful? Good to get the info out early.

[Zacha341]

That's a trip 'without' luggage for the election workers! But there's alot going on state to state to be voted on.

You think two sheets is bad? In Florida, their ballot is 11 pages long this year.