Max and I had a great show today over on The Definite Article. This was our "Voters' Cheat Sheet Show", where we gave suggestions on how to vote properly in Multnomah County, Oregon. We didn't just hold forth on the big ballot measures, however; we gave advice all across the spectrum. Here's a recap of the positions, as well as some additional thinking that went into today's show:
Secretary of State: No recommendation, but a serious "NO" for incumbent Bill Bradbury. He came and spoke at the inauguration ceremonies last month here on campus. He was supposed to be giving greetings from the state of Oregon; he ended up giving a stump speech about how important his office (and, by extension, his own work) is. I have one word, Bill: BOO! (and I don't mean the Halloween "boo", either.)
Measure 31: Amend state constitution to permit postponement of election when a nominee for that position dies. Well, duh! Who wants to look as dumb as the folks of Missouri, who elected a dead guy to the US Senate? Get with it, people! YES.
Measure 32: Amend state constitution to reclassify mobile homes under motor vehicle taxes, so that the money can be used for non road items. I think a better question is, why make mobile home owners pay DMV licensing fees at all? Shouldn't they just get a trip permit for the few hours it takes to move from one place to another? Then use that money to pay for something like tornado prevention. YES.
Measure 33: Amend the already-under-federal-review Medical Marijuana Act to allow pharmacies and counties to sell weed. Hmmm. Well, this makes the government into a supplier, as well as ensures that folks will become indigent so that the state has to give them the stuff. Bad idea, in my mind. NO.
Measure 34: Enshrine in law a balanced approach to forest use, between sustainable timber production and conservation/preservation. On this one, I agree with the principle, even though it's going to be horribly expensive. As my colleague Kristina pointed out, the economic impact is immense, but the idea seems to be well justified. YES.
Measure 35: Amend state constitution to limit malpractice non-economic damages (which are defined in the measure) to $500,000 per case. Considering they define non-economic damages to include pain and suffering, on that basis alone, this is an awful amendment. NO.
Measure 36: Amend state constitution to define marriage as "between one man and one woman". On this issue, I've gone back-and-forth. My faith tells me (and I firmly believe) that marriage is truly between a man and a woman. But marriage is inherently a religious question, and I shouldn't impose my faith upon anyone else. So I think that the state should get out of the marriage business entirely, and simply stick with civil unions - which can be defined as however the couple (or, I suppose, multiple partners, in the case of traditional LDS faith) would like. That keeps a nice separation between the State and the Church. NO.
Measure 37: Governments must pay landowners, or forgo enforcement, when certain land use restrictions reduce property value. On this one, I see a huge downside to approval, and relatively little downside to maintaining the law as is. Currently, the state constitution says that governments must pay the owner "just compensation" when their land is condemned or otherwise affected negatively. The measure applies retroactively, so that alone would cost likely in the billions of dollars, as well as prevent necessary future laws to protect our society, out of fear of huge claims under this measure. Boo. NO.
Measure 38: Abolish SAIF and reinsure against workers' compensation claims. Frankly, given that the cost of reinsurance alone will cost between $2.2 and 2.4 BILLION dollars, these people who want the measure to pass are out of their tree. Boo. NO.
County Measure 26-24: Repeal 2004-05 County Income Tax. Hey, it costs money to live in a democracy and to have social services like jails and schools (ignore the snickering about how these two services are quite similar). We're talking 1.25% here, and it's keeping criminals off the streets and kids in the classroom? I think we need to keep the tax. NO.
There it is, the correct way to vote on the Oregon ballot measures. Look no further, you've found the right answers here. Now get your ballot in the mail!
