State Leaders Contemplate Seizing Absolute Power

[Wizard777]

State leaders contemplate changes to referendum process

After petitions sent three Maryland laws to voters this fall — the first such referendums in 20 years — state leaders said Tuesday that the process designed in the era before electronic signatures needs a fresh look.

"Our forefathers never imagined everything that we did in Annapolis would be subject to referendum," Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said.

Opponents of same-sex marriage, the Dream Act that granted in-state tuition to some illegal immigrants and the redrawn congressional boundaries harnessed the petition process, gathering enough signatures to place each law on the November ballot. Voters upheld them all, and the referendum process underwent new public scrutiny.

[demopublican]

You just know that these petitions frosted Mike. Mike, and O'Malley.
If there is anything these guys hate it is the public having influence on the political process.

[ivanbalt]

Shortly after the election, O'Malley told the news media, "It's probably been made a little too easy" to put laws up for referendum. On Tuesday, his spokeswoman confirmed the governor thinks the process "needs to be looked at." Miller questioned whether electronic signatures should be verified by someone other than the people who gave them. And Busch said lawmakers should reconsider the number of signatures required to send a law to the ballot — a threshold, he said, that was set in the days they were collected by going door-to-door.

Translation: Where's our cut?

[Wizard777]

The Annapolis Aristocracy has had a challenge to their power. Now they are getting pissy about it even though they won all three challenges hands down. What they are now essentially saying is that they can't trust us with our power. There is a possibility that one day we could disagree with them. They are going to do something about that right now. They have the voters squarely behind them consistently upholding their decisions and they have to stop that. Seriously?

Nevermind that the Annapolis Aristocrats in their power lust to make it more difficult for the voters to agree with them....... Seriously? This isn't an April fools joke that no one is going to catch onto because it's January? But I digress, they have started their case with an Our Poor Stupid Forefathers Argument.

"Our forefathers never imagined everything that we did in Annapolis would be subject to referendum," Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said.

Anyone that start a sentence with the words, "Our forefathers never imagined" has obviously never read the Maryland Constitution to see what our forefathers could imagine. So I have to ask, If they didn't imagine everything you did to be subject to referendum. Then why did our forefathers give the People absolute power over the state government?Absolute power over the government is the very first right they gave us.

Article 1. That all Government of right originates from the People, is founded in compact only, and instituted solely for the good of the whole; and they have, at all times, the inalienable right to alter, reform or abolish their Form of Government in such manner as they may deem expedient.

Just incase that isn't clear enough for you. There's this shorter bit.

Art. 4. That the People of this State have the sole and exclusive right of regulating the internal government and police thereof, as a free, sovereign and independent State.

While these wannabe Lords and Lady's of the Statehouse ponder if they can trust the people to look over their shoulders to approve or disapprove of their work. I have to remind them that it's not a matter of if they can trust us with our freedoms and absolute power over the government. It a matter of if we the People of Maryland can trust them with our government. That bring us to this part with it's dire warning about perversion of the government, oppression and other nasty and destructive things.

Art. 6. That all persons invested with the Legislative or Executive powers of Government are the Trustees of the Public, and, as such, accountable for their conduct: Wherefore, whenever the ends of Government are perverted, and public liberty manifestly endangered, and all other means of redress are ineffectual, the People may, and of right ought, to reform the old, or establish a new Government; the doctrine of non-resistance against arbitrary power and oppression is absurd, slavish and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.

I'm open to the idea that there are some things our forefathers may not have imagined. But making it more difficult for the people to agree or disagree with our Trustees obviously is not one of them. But I'll posit these suggestion for consideration.

Our forefathers never imagined that the legislature would tax Marylands tobacco industry and the thriving economy it provided out of existence and then try to tax consumption out of existence. Our forefathers would have grabbed their pitchforks, guns and torches over that one. But you dirty rotten government perverting SOB's did it any way. Didn't you?

Our forefathers never imagined that the legislature would place a tax burden on Marylanders that would make King George say, I'm a cruel and oppressive tyrant but I wouldn't wish that tax burden on my worst enemy. But you dirty rotten government perverting SOB's did it any way. Didn't you?

Most of all

Our forefathers never imagined a government that could be trusted or that we could take our eyes off of for a single second. But you dirty rotten government perverting SOB's are trying to get us to do that any way. Aren't you?

[Wizard777]

Translation: Where's our cut?

It's in the 4 Billion they want to spend on two freakin' choo choo trains. We are almost out of the 1 Billion hole. Now they are trying to do away with the people's ability to stop them from throwing us into a 4 billion dollar hole buying two freakin' choo choo trains that will be operated at an annual loss.

Nevermind looking over their shoulders. We need to be putting our foot in their arses.

[Wizard777]

Now I think about this. If anything we need to our power to include ballot initiative. Because many of the thing that the legislature finally got around to enacting for us to agree or disagree with. With Ballot iniative we could more than likely had some of this years ago. The legislature has admitted that they are woefully behind the times and the will of the people. So why shouldn't we have the ability to express our will directly by proposing ballot iniative laws?

[Saticon3]

They won all of them. What are they afraid of?
Why not just do away with elections too, and appoint Miller, Busch & O'Malley for life?

[cprenegade]

O'Malley can't stand any challenge to his way of seeing things. He know's best for everyone. He is the most disgusting politician I have ever seen. And given what we have out there today, that's saying quite a bit. Hopefully, this guy never gains any other position of power after his term of governor is up.

[ybnormal]

They won all of them. What are they afraid of? Exactly.

Why not just do away with elections too, and appoint Miller, Busch & O'Malley for life? God forbid.

Think we'll see gun control go to referendum? The gas tax hike? Hardly.

[Saticon3]

Think we'll see gun control go to referendum? The gas tax hike? Hardly.

I see the point on guns, yes. I think though wouldn't the gas tax be appropriations and not subject to referendum?

O'Malley is of course quite thankfully term limited, or he might just have the job as long as he wanted it. Miller & Busch do seem to be de facto lifetime appointees-- did you see Miller won unanamouisly as Senate prez the other day? Not to mention they are bever serioulsy challenged in the elections.