This year our elections bring several important issues to the fore. I'm using today's post to highlight my opinions on the Citizen Initiatives on this year's ballots, which include:
1. Equality... The same rights for all - "People's Veto" seeks to rescind Maine's "Gay Marriage" law. And so...It's defeat will strip any doubt from Mainers' intent to recognize that consenting adults have the right to join in legal married partnership regardless of what sex any of the participants are - without diminishing traditional unions or religious traditions.
2. Municipal Excise Taxes... the taxes that pay for local road and bridge repair... that sometimes seem exorbitant (especially to those who own used vehicles that cost lots of $$$ when new) - but how else do we cover the cost of local roads?
3. State vs Local Educational Priorities... While the original idea of school district consolidation to save money by eliminating redundancy, was a good one, like many plans of this nature, when it was all said and done the savings found were not great enough to offset the disruption such a plan causes... and the fines levied on those towns that could not comply are a travesty! Personally I prefer that local education remain firmly in the hands of the communities and believe consolidation works against that priority.
4. "TABOR"... a tax cap that sounds good on paper but can't work in reality. This is another issue of local control. Communities need to have full power to address their own priorities. When costs are decreed by a formula - local involvement diminishes. Democracy only succeeds with citizen participation. Local government needs to be MORE interactive NOT less! State wide formulas for local costs are not a good idea - especially when based on population #s - a small rural area has different priorities from a large urban one. The passage of these sort of tax-cap plans always result in diminished social welfare within small communities.
5. Medical Marijuana... This one simply makes sense to me. In medical use, the "drug" Marijuana has less cost and side effects than most current pharmacology and it's many benefits for those suffering from anxiety, pain, nausea, glaucoma... are well documented. Legality should not even be an issue - this is a naturally occurring plant not some man-made drug to regulate!
I'd like to go even further than this regarding Cannabis - IMHO Hemp needs to be legalized in all it's forms. The economic ramifications alone are reason enough. I'd love to see hemp cultivation for cloth, rope, and paper return to it's once lucrative contribution to rural economies. The saving of our forests alone is reason enough!
6. $71,250,000 Bond Issue... I see no reason for Maine taxpayers to go into debt to pay for infrastructure that will largely profit out of state interests and corporations. (And in the dredging of the Sears Island harbor area - have a deleterious affect on a vital estuary) In the case where in state businesses would profit - such infrastructure should be part of their own profit-expense plan rather than come out of the pocket of their fellow citizens! If more than one industry would benefit - let them work together to fund their own profit.
7. Increase the Time allowed to certify citizen petition signatures... Why not? In these busy times I say as long as the deadline is reasonable for getting the initiatives on the ballot - there is no downside to giving certification all the time it needs.
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