Posted by
NOTLEGALROADKILLYET on Saturday, September 16, 2006 1:15:36 AM
I had no idea what I would recommend to my readers on Amendment 38 until tonight's Independent Thinking show on KBDI, to be repeated Sunday.
Beauprez has come out against it, which I now think is an unfortunate decision.
Anyone who watches the Independent Thinking rerun on Sunday, and I strongly encourage you to do so, will see Doug Campbell, the proponent discussing the issue with Rick Reiter, of Coloradan's for Responsible Reform, an opponent.
I really dislike deception in politics. When politicians practice deception they are trying to steal the votes of the unwary. I don't believe Reiter made a single argument that wasn't highly deceptive.
Start with the name of his organization. He isn't, and never has been for reforming the initiative system, but he has opposed it three times. That's deception. He falsely claimed that the PRA would require taxpayers to fund printing petitions and loudly proclaimed that taxpayers shouldn't be funding petitions. When corrected he claimed that the stipulated reimbursement wouldn't cover costs without having any idea if that were true. That's deception. He claimed that making it easier to petition cities and other government entities would vastly increase petitions. Loveland, it turns out, only requires 300 signatures and isn't inundated. That's deception. He claimed that there would be too many citizen laws each year but was countered with the fact that the legislature passes 300-400 a year. That's deception.
I am convinced that the kind of reform Reiter would like to see is repeal of the initiative system completely. He made a big point of complaining that citizens whose issue was voted down shouldn't be allowed to tweak their petition and try again. No one called him on it, but that is exactly what legislators do when their bill doesn't pass the first time.
If Reiter is the best opponents can do, there is no reason not to support 38. Beauprez is wrong. Sorry.