Voter Manipulation
It would be tough to argue with those who say that The Golden State has gone overboard on the initiative process. We have. The fault lies with the fact that we have an 1100-mile coastline, 39 million residents – at least – of many divergent cultures, and a legislature that doesn’t always act on issues with, um, alacrity.
The initiative process was set up nearly a century ago to deal with an over-powered railroad, so it is ironic in a way that now another virtual monopoly is gaming the same system to strengthen its position. Pacific Gas and Electric – PG&E, or as it is known to many of its customers as Public Graft and Extortion – has a proposition on the June primary ballot that would make it somewhere between difficult and impossible for local communities to supply their own power.
The utility is alone behind the measure and is putting up some $25 million to pass it. They call it the "Taxpayer Right to Vote Act" and it would change the state constitution to require a super-majority for locals to expand or start a power system or buy energy from wholesalers.
As you might imagine, their messages have been all applehood-‘n-motherpie; you want to put your right hand over your heart – instead of your wallet – and look for the nearest flag.
Local utilities are suing to have the prop removed from the ballot, claiming that it is solely designed to kill competition, "greatly diminish" voting, and discourage elections.
Whether or not we have too many ballot measures, the larger issue is that both their meaning and their wording should be clear. Surely our citizens would make sounder decisions if the props and their concomitant promotion spoke the truth in terms that everyone could grok without reading between the lines.
Perhaps a panel of news editors could assess every broadcast spot before it aired and grade it on the basis of both what it said, and didn’t say. Yeah, we’re all holding our breath for that to happen.
©2010 SetonnoteS
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