Democratic Diva

30 Sep 2008 08:35 am
Posted by: Katie

I have actually had a few people ask me how to vote on the ballot initiatives. My recommendation is always to go and read all the info and make an informed choice. The next question is if there is an official Democratic Party position on them. Last Thursday, the Maricopa County Democratic Party Executive Committee voted on the “official” positions of the MCDP, which happen to mirror mine, so here you go.

Prop 100 – Protect Our Homes – NO. First of all, the initiatives that begin with 1 are constitutional amendments. This particular one addresses a problem that doesn’t exist, preventing the levy of a tax on real estate transfers. I’m pretty conservative about messing with the constitution and really don’t think we should change it to do anything but expand rights, and definately not to adress a problem that doesn’t exist.

Prop 101 – Medical Choice for Arizona – NO. See above.

Prop 102 – Marriage – NO NO NO!!!! We already voted on this. And we don’t need to amend the constitution for this, Arizona’s law defining marriage between a man and a woman has already been challenged and upheld in the courts.

Prop 105 – Majority Rules – NO. Um, this is just totally ridiculous. It would count the votes of eligible voters, who for whatever reason choose not to vote, as “no” votes. And unnecessarily amends the constitution.

Prop 200 – Payday Loan Reform Act – NO. Loan sharking disguised as reform. See www.200isnoreform.com.

Prop 201 – Homeowners’ Bill of Rights – YES. Would provide a 10-year warranty on new home construction. This is a labor-backed initiative aimed at helping Arizonza’s working families.

Prop 202 – Stop Illegal Hiring – no position. This is a business-backed initiative that would essentially gut the employer sanctions law. Russell Pearce and Don Goldwater are opposed to it and it would be really hard to side with them.

Prop 300 – State Legislators’ Salaries – YES. Raises the current salary for state legislators from $24,000 to $30,000 annually. This is always on the ballot (usually requesting $36,000) and always fails. I think if we want a better caliber of legislator, we have to be willing to pay more. It really is much closer to a full-time than a part-time job.

School District Unification – The MCDP did not vote on this, and I think the arguments for and against it are different depending on where you live. In Phoenix, I plan to vote no, and most of the educational leaders in Phoenix are opposed to this. The boards of PUHSD and many of Phoenix’s elementary districts all voted to oppose the measure.

I encourage you to read the Secretary of State’s publicity pamphlet, which contains all of the arguments for and against the propositions that were submitted to her office. It is available on-line at www.azsos.gov. There is also a schedule of town halls that will take place around the state. The Arizona Advocacy Network has also published a non-partisan guide that is available on their website at www.azadvocacy.org.

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