The upcoming ballot propositions are all about concentrating power in the hands of a few and seeing how to extort more money from citizens with no accountability. As I’ve been going around town speaking against Prop A, voters who have been paying attention are righteously outraged. And the 350,000 registered voters who signed the Cap the Rate and Increase the Wage petitions and who saw the ballot initiative held hostage by corporate kidnappers are still simmering.
There are four propositions and one constitutional amendment on the November 6 ballot. Propositions A, B, E, R and Amendment A should all be seen as power plays that don’t benefit the majority of the citizens.
You’ve heard me slam Prop A as the backroom deal by billionaire Rex Sinquefield and Mayor Slay with the St. Louis Police Officers Association(SLPOA). The three completely hijacked a democratic process that was facilitated for several years by the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression to make sure all the stakeholders were included and engaged.
Citizens Against Prop A include groups like the NAACP, Jobs with Justice, ACLU, Firefighters Institute for Racial Equality, The Ethical Society of Police and a host of faith, labor, student and community leaders.
Even SLPOA President David Bronenberger has come out in public opposition to Prop A. Insiders say that many rank and file members felt like the SLPOA’s business manager Jeff Roorda shoved the ballot initiative down their throats and now they are rebelling.
Prop B creates the Health and Education Trust Fund. Although I have issues with how the monies will be dispersed, I have been convinced by community activists that I respect to support Prop B. Missouri has one of the lowest tobacco taxes in the country – it’s 17 cents – and this measure would add much needed revenue to the Missouri budget. Citizens will have to be vigilant about making sure the monies go where they are supposed to go.
Prop E is a smack down of an important feature of the Affordable Health Care Act, aka Obamacare: the health insurance exchanges. The Republican-led General Assembly put this on the ballot as part of the GOP’s national strategy to prohibit the creation of these exchanges and undermine the effectiveness of the federal health care program. Voters need to smack Prop E down.
Prop R is a city charter amendment to reduce the City’s Board of Alderpeople from 28 members to 14. There is no explanation as to how this will be done and by whom, only that it would be done some time after the next Census. Oh, and if you want to know more about the “Board of Aldermen Amendment Ordinance.”
Amendment 3 is a constitutional amendment that would give the governor all the power to appoint the Appellate Judicial Commission, the group responsible for nominating judges to the appeals court and the Missouri Supreme Court. The current law requires three civilians along with three gubernatorial appointees to the commission. This is an invitation to political chicanery as we watch judgeships go to the highest bidders and bow to the governor.
Don’t be herded into the low-information voter corral. Get informed about the candidates, the judges and the issues so you can be an empowered voter.
