Somehow seedy politicians seemed appropriate, given it's Massachusetts and all. My favorite quote from Kris Mineau kind of sums it up. "The ruling elite don't believe we're smart enough to decide anything for ourselves.."
An amendment of the Massachusetts Constitution proposed by Democrats could virtually put an end to citizen-initiated referenda in the state.
The amendment, proposed jointly by state Rep. Byron Rushing in the House and by state Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem in the Senate, would exclude any citizen petition that deals with issues concerning a person's right to "the enjoyment of life, liberty and property, according to standing laws."
#1
Amendment I. Freedom of Speech, Press, Religion and Petition
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
If the lawyers can find the "right to abortion" or the "right to privacy" in that sentence, then surely the people's right to petition for a change in state law should be obvious.
#3
Rushing's one of the local kooks up here, a small time Charlie Rangel. Because of his idiot constituents, the only way he'll leave that seat is in a box. Creem's out of the Brookline-Newton-Wellesley axis that gave you Barney Frank.
This hasn't hit the Globe or the Herald yet. I look forward to the backpedaling when it does.
#5
"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is a part of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.
What a sorry state. Rushing and Creem should do not serve the State of Massachusetts if they believe the above to be not relevant to the freedoms of the people of Massachusetts. I thought the First Amendment (Bill of Rights) insured that the amendment prohibits the making of any law "respecting an establishment of religion", impeding the free exercise of religion, infringing on the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. These people should be out if they don't understand this!
#7
This is what happens with a single party State or nation.
There are 40 senatorial districts in Massachusetts, named for the counties in which they are located. The current composition of the Senate is 34 Democrats, 4 Republicans, with 2 vacancies.
The current composition of the House is 144 Democrats and 16 Republicans.
#8
Not long ago Mass passed (or debated) a bill that would send all of their electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote. Hearing about this on the news it sounded very much like it was taking the voters of Mass voice out of the picture entirely. If Mass voted 100% for Obama but Palin got the popular vote nationally Mass electoral votes would go to Palin. Perhaps I got it wrong, or the news got it wrong, but either way it sounded to me as if the Mass legislature was filled with fools. This latest convinces me that it is.
#10
The only way we ever get any decent laws in California is by statewide ballot propositions that are submitted to the voters for approval. To get on the ballot the sponsors have to submit petitions that have been signed by a sufficient number of registered voters. Without this mechanism we would be completely at the mercy of the crooked morons in Sacramento. I've said it before, I'd be willing to actually dissolve the legislature altogether. Maybe you think this makes me a crackpot but our experience in California shows that the legislature really is more trouble than it's worth. Our budget was due on June 15 and they still haven't acted.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
