California’s ballot-initiative process is broken beyond repair—at least that’s what ABC 7 in Los Angeles and San Francisco concluded last year when they labeled me “the poster child for abuse of the ballot-initiative system.” They didn’t care for the initiative I filed, which would have banned divorce in the state of California.
Somehow, they got the impression that I was mocking Proposition 8; that I was using the political process to point out the hypocrisy of people who were eager to take rights away from gay people to protect “traditional marriage,” but were completely unwilling to give up their own rights to make marriage even more secure.
Even if that were true, the idea that I am abusing the system is absurd. I have no powerful or moneyed interests backing my cause. I gathered people to me on Facebook. I financed the effort with t-shirt sales. All of my signature gatherers were volunteers. I am an ordinary citizen. My cause is populism at its best.
The ballot initiative was designed to put power into the hands of the people, and that is exactly how we used it. We were doing it right—which is ultimately why we failed. If you want to see real abuse of the system, just look at your ballot on June 8th.
Look at Proposition 16. The deceptively titled “Taxpayer’s Right to Vote Act” is actually backed by more than $46 million from PG&E. Instead of empowering voters, Prop 16 would actually take their rights away—giving a minority the power to veto the creation or expansion of municipal power, and eliminating competition in the marketplace.
Study the Mercury Insurance-backed Proposition 17, which would enable insurance companies to levy outrageous surcharges to customers who have had a lapse in their coverage. Mercury claims the initiative will actually allow them to give increased discounts to drivers who maintain continuous coverage. Does anyone honestly believe that Mercury just paid $14.6 million for the right to give their customers bigger discounts?
The sad truth is that the ballot-initiative process that was originally designed to give power to the people has become instead a cynical way for the rich and the powerful to bypass the political process. Why buy a legislator when you can just buy legislation? If you hire enough people to stand in front of Wal*Mart, you can get anything on the ballot.
I am making my stand against cynicism. I’ve refiled my initiative to ban divorce. I’m prepping petitions and gathering volunteers. I’ve made it my goal to reclaim the ballot-initiative process for the people of California.
My detractors have said that if I were to succeed in getting a divorce ban on the ballot, if it were actually to become law, political anarchy would be the result. I would have made such a mockery of the ballot-initiative system that we would have no choice but to dismantle it and replace it with something else, something better.
Somehow, I’m willing to take that risk.
John Marcotte is a firm believer in traditional family values. He currently opposes government-funded death panels, Obama talking to children and MSNBC's entire prime-time line-up. 
I’m impressed with this one!
Hi John,
When you re-file the petition for a ballot initiative, I’d like to volunteer to collect signatures. Somehow I missed it last time around. I’ve been married to the same women for nearly 13 years (11 of them “extra-legally”), and I don’t want her to be able to divorce me. Honestly, I’m the only person in my immediate family who HASN’T been divorced, which I like to bring up to people who mock gay marriage, since my other relatives are all (presumably) straight. Thanks for taking this particular matrimony pony by the horns…uh…well, you know what I mean.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Lilje
I’ll let you know, Kathryn. Waiting for the “fiscal analysis” now. As soon as we’re cleared to gather signatures, I’ll make an announcement.
These hypocrites only support the ballot-initiative system only when it does what they want and nothing more. Anything that supports their goals is proper use of the system and anything they don’t like is an abuse of the system.
Excellent letter, John. Only you can speak so eloquently and truthfully in such a humorous manner. I think this time around it’s going to be much more efficient, as we all that were there in the beginning will be too. If at first you don’t succeed…
We’re going to make even more of an impact this time. You are better prepared now to lead this horse to water, and people are going to drink.
It’s funny how those in my family are religious and supported Prop 8 are the very same ones that cyber with sluts in Florida. So much for protecting marriage.
If there’s anything a lone man in Milwaukee can do to help, let me know. I believe strongly in your cause!
Ditto for this Waukesha native as well.
And let’s not forget Prop 13, cynically marketed to the people of California as a way to keep little old ladies in their homes without property tax increases, and which now keeps little old Disneyland and Chevron paying the same property tax as they did back in the stone age. AND which allows acquiring companies to keep the property tax rates of companies they acquire, as long as they buy up the stock in a couple of increments. Prop 13 also set up the requirement for a 2/3 majority in the state legislature to raise taxes. All in all, the devastation Prop 13 has caused this fair state is incalculable.
Cry me a river. If it wasn’t for initiatives like Prop 13, our ONCE-fair state would’ve gone in the crapper even sooner. Yeah, Prop 13′s the problem. Cuz raising taxes really is the answer, isn’t it?! Are you freaking kidding me? On the contrary, tax and spend libs are gonna pay at all levels at the ballot box this November! This is gonna be so much fun!!!
Or you could argue that by setting property tax rates abnormally low and then essentially freezing them in place, we made the state too dependent on income and sales taxes, which fluctuate wildly. And furthermore than the inability to adjust property taxes to suit the market created an unbalanced real-estate market that sent property values careening upward which ultimately led to the real-estate crash that decimated the state.
I mean, you could argue that way if you were a “tax and spend lib.”
Don’t forget to mention all the other State governments that have Prop. 13 legislation that are on the brink of bankruptcy!
I wasn’t really clear on what happened to this initiative last year. Did it not gather enough signatures? You must succeed!
We were a bit shy. We needed a million and we had thousands. This time there will be fewer media distractions and we’re going to really focus on those signatures.
The Secretary of State’s Office announced yesterday (July 13, 2010) that the new initiative is approved for the signature gathering phase. I would suggest that you approach every Catholic and Mormon to request their assistance in getting signatures. If they refuse, then you know who the real hypocrits are.
> I am making my stand against cynicism. I’ve refiled my initiative to ban divorce.
Filing an initiative to ban divorce is the epitome of cynicism, I should think.
Thank you for doing this. I have countless people in my life that supported Prop 8 with time and money. It made me quite sad and as a Jesus lover I had to keep repeating his words “love your enemies…do good to those that hurt you”, each time I would open hateful emails containing advice in them to “protect marriage” and make sure to VOTE. Now I can send this to all my marriage protecting friends and family and encourage them to make marriage REALLY strong. I’m excited too because now my husband and I can never leave each other. No way out! What a relief!
Put me down as a volunteer to gather signatures in Palm Springs. This town is chock full of older conservative people who would, I am sure, be happy to sign a petition protecting marriage from the dangers of rampant divorce. And along with the “Grays,” Palm Springs is also home to lots of “Gays,” many of whom were married in that brief period when it was legal. I feel sure they and their friends would want to protect their own marriages from messy divorces as well.
Excellent letter, they forgot to point out that star power was no longer the only qualification to run for governer but that if you had enough money you could attempt to buy your way into office ala Meg Whitman. I didn’t see that reported on ABC 7! This action of yours and I daresay ours is a legitimate and valid use of the ballot-initiative process as certain as ABC 7 broadcasts 1/13 truths and sensationalism to buy viewers and higher ratings.
Yes, please let us know when we can help gather signatures. I’m pretty stoked for that. Thank you so much for doing this.
I’m half a nation away, but if there’s anything I can do in southern Missouri let me know!
Where do we find a petition to sign? Your logic in this is flawless.
So if my wife cheats on me, my options are putting up with it or arranging an accident? Hmm…
John, I’m from Ohio where it’s never been too accepting anyway. It’s legal to discriminate against gays, openly, in housing and employment. Our initiative process lets the State Constitution be amended by a simple majority vote. When they passed Issue One here, banning legal recognition of any relationship that in any way approximates traditional marriage, they made it part of our Constitution. Ordinary legislation can’t change it and all it takes to get there is one vote more than half.