The OC Blog Back Issues Our Mission Contact Us Masthead
Sudsy Wants You to Join the Oregon Commentator
 

14% of Oregon Voters Help Make The Case for Education Reform

Oregon Measure 46 amends the state Constitution to allow for campaign finance limitations to be enacted through initiative or legislative action. Measure 47, meanwhile, creates a law that places limits on campaign fundraising.

So in order for Measure 47 to be enacted, Measure 46 must also pass.

This simple logic has apparently been lost on about 14% of Oregon voters, if early returns are any indication. 40.4% of people voted for Measure 46 while 54.3% voted for Measure 47. In other words, 14% of people voted for something that they voted against being able to enact on the same ballot.

  1. Ian says:

    The fact is that many voters (like my college-educated neighbor) cast a SYMBOLIC vote in favor of reform, while also refusing to water down the free speech protections of the Oregon Constitution.

    If you don’t want “to water down the free speech protections,” then you really can’t pass campaign finance limits in the first place. “Symbolic votes” are utterly meaningless. Should we have referendums on if daisies are pretty flowers? How about we ask the voters if happiness is good? Does a “murder is bad!” declaration initiative sound productive?

    You can’t ask for campaign finance reform if you’re unwilling to make the necessary constitutional changes, it’s as simple as that.

  2. Timothy says:

    If you’d learn to read you would have noticed that nowhere in his post did Ian mention support for either of these amendments.

  3. knappster says:

    Ian writes as if voters never cast symbolic votes. His logic leads to a condemnation of anyone who votes for third party candidates, for example. He also joins the crowd of whiney campaign finance reformers who insult anyone who doesn’t do things their way.

    The fact is that many voters (like my college-educated neighbor) cast a SYMBOLIC vote in favor of reform, while also refusing to water down the free speech protections of the Oregon Constitution.

    If you want to get money out of campaigns, follow where it ultimately goes. Then develop a demand-side strategy, instead of repeatedly asking us to make a Faustian bargain to limit the supply.

  4. Niedermeyer says:

    Hey, if you all would rather not have our amazing initiative process that’s fine, go move to Maryland or something…

    Me, I’m gonna see if I can get one passed next time around that would require the legislature to grow some really good medical marijuana, then sell it to finance mandatory random abortions performed by gay doctors with credit scores at or below 550.

    Trust me guys, this is gonna fix everything.

  5. Timothy says:

    Democracy sucks, if only slightly less than all of the other forms of governance.

  6. Danimal says:

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Democracy simply does not work.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.