01/25/08: Stifling voters' voices isn't Madison's job - Wausau Daily Herald
Editorial from the Wausau Daily Herald
Stifling voters' voices isn't Madison's job
January 25, 2008
As you will read in Mike McCabe's column elsewhere on this page, the Wisconsin Legislature met only 20 days in all of 2007 and will convene for only a few more days before taking the rest of 2008 off starting in May.
That's most certainly a mixed blessing; at least when they're not meeting, they're not causing trouble. But they are still collecting their $47,000 annual salaries.
You would think they would want to at least pretend to earn those checks by attacking the critical problems facing our state: a failing economy, families and businesses being crushed by health care costs, a school finance system that gets an F only because there is no lower grade, a biennial state budget that bleeds red ink before the books even are opened and a state law that allows one class of workers to be exposed to the known carcinogens in cigarette smoke every day.
But no. Assembly Republicans -- you know, those small-government, local-control advocates -- are instead squandering their precious time by using the heavy hand of government to squelch voters' voices.
The Assembly approved earlier this month a bill that would curb citizen-driven initiatives on the Iraq war and other issues by allowing municipalities to ignore grassroots ballot initiatives.
The bill is a response to the Wisconsin communities that in recent years have passed or considered resolutions condemning the war and calling for troop withdrawal.
Under current state law, any resident who gathers enough signatures can force such measures onto the ballot. The provision allows those who feel government isn't responding to their needs to circumvent city councils and village boards and enact ordinances themselves.
That's an important democratic protection in the fine progressive tradition of Wisconsin. It sometimes yields what some see as silly ballot initiatives -- a village of 2,000 voting to impeach President Bush, for example. But that's the price of democracy.
Some in the Assembly can't countenance such citizen action. The bill they approved would allow municipalities to strike direct legislation from ballots if the matter doesn't directly relate to local government functions.
The Wisconsin Alliance of Cities supports the proposal because member municipalities fear being bogged down by the hassle and expense of such initiatives.
But that's not a good enough reason to compromise democracy.
And if the law were passed, who would get to decide what is and isn't a matter of local government concern?
Take the war. Is it a local government concern in a village of 2,000 people? It's hard to make that case.
But what if two local residents have been killed in the war? What if the village's biggest employer has lost a chunk of its workforce because they've been called to active military duty? What if the village is hit by a disaster -- a tornado or flood -- and many of the National Guard troops who normally would respond are overseas fighting?
Suddenly, the war is an intensely local issue, isn't it?
And what about health care, or a statewide smoking ban, or campaign finance reform? None is a matter of local government control. But all are of paramount importance to some voters.
What better way to tell the Legislature that we expect action on health care than by voting at the grassroots level on a ballot initiative demanding solutions?
"This bill serves no legitimate purpose but it will gag the citizens from speaking out when they don't like what the government is doing," said Democratic state Rep. Spencer Black of Madison.
We agree.
The clock is ticking, Madison. May will be here soon. Get to work.