Michigan Constitutional Convention

[Hypestyles]

I believe it it Proposal 1? Aka the 'con-con' ballot initiative. A choice whether to look at rewriting Michigan's constitution- the last opportunity was in the early 90's and apparently most people voted no.

What are the options that people are looking at? Why vote yes, why vote no?

If yes, what are the top 3 priorities that the commission should be looking at?

If Yes, who should be on the constitutional committee? Should it be a non-partisan election? Staffers chosen by the governor? A combination of both?

[Detroitej72]

Just vote against it. If you want to change things in the state constitution, add amendments. There is no need to scrap the whole thing.

[gazhekwe]

Do we want a convention to discuss and write a new constitution to present for a vote of the people?

I agree, no. The results of the last Con Con as they called it, we live with today. It took many meetings and much money to produce. At his point, we don't have the luxury of money to pay for this effort, and it is questionable whether we need a major overhaul. Let the legislature pick it over and make amendments, that is already being paid for.

[MCP-001]

Several problems with a con-con:

It'll be written by republicans & democrats [[the same people who can't get anything done right now).

Any call to convention means that delegates will need to be selected. And guess who has the market cornered on getting their people into office?

It is an "all-or-nothing" proposition. Those same democrats & republicans who care so much for the Michigan Taxpayer right now, will only put the final product out to get approved. They won't give a rat's tail about what you want in a new Constitution. They answer to their respective party, not the taxpayer.

Do you want to get the MCRI scrapped? Then agree to a lower and capped Michigan tax structure. Do you want the Definition of Marriage removed? Then Michigan is a Right to Work State. Do you want more funding for schools? Then kiss another entitlement goodbye.

There will be a lot of "give and take". What do you want to give up, to get what you want?

Michigan is broke.

Right now Michigan is approx $1.6 billion in the red.

Lansing has concocted so many accounting gimmicks, to say nothing about the biggest sugar daddy of them all, Pres. B.O. coming in at the last minute to save the day, that fiscal accountability is practically an alien concept to the capitol critters in Lansing.

A con-con is estimated to cost about $45-million.

Do you want an entitlement cut, or do you want a con-con.

Like was pointed out above, the Michigan constitution can already be amended at ANY TIME through the citizen initiative process. Put together a committee, circulate a petition, gather the required number of signatures and get the matter added to the Michigan Constitution.