The Autumn Leaves
No the leaves aren’t falling. There’s no hint of snow in the air. Today the high’s going to be over eighty degrees, the grass needs cutting, and “back to school” sales are everywhere. It’s August; but here in Ohio, it’s election day.
Jenn and I voted over the weekend. We drove to the county seat, Newark, and cast our single issue ballot, one that’s costing the taxpayers of Ohio $20 million. The state legislature, who only a few months ago said August elections were foolish and undemocratic, felt this Issue was so important that it was worth the hypocrisy, effort and money. Their political calculation is cynical. They hope only their few stalwarts will appear at the polls. So here we are: it’s election day.
What’s so important that it can’t wait until November, already an off-off year election – 2023? The Legislature wants to make it harder for the citizens of Ohio to change the state Constitution. They want to alter the more than a century old initiative addition to the Constitution, one that allowed citizens to “bypass” that same legislature.
Issues and Arguments
I hope Ohioans vote NO on Issue One, but I’m not going back into all of the arguments. Here are links to the several essays I’ve written – if you still are undecided – please check them out.
Here’s what Issue One isn’t about: abortion, gun control, transgender kids in school, minimum wages, or LGBTQ rights. We will surely have those discussions and arguments in the future. That’ll start in November with an amendment to guarantee women’s health rights, or to say it another way, a woman’s right to choose an abortion or not.
But this Issue One is about one thing: Power. The power of a demonstrably corrupt state legislature to act unfettered by citizens control. Sure, today it’s a Republican legislature. But as “Red” as everyone seems to think Ohio is, we are really a 54-46 state. That balance can tip, and then, as my mother might say, “The shoe is on the other foot”.
Go
Anyway, it’s election day. However you plan to vote on Issue One, I encourage you to go out and cast your ballot. Put your best Hawaiian shirt, shorts, flip-flops and sunglasses on, and go prove the legislature wrong about at least one thing.
You can’t slip an election this important through, by hiding it in the shimmering sunshine.
Go and Vote.
