Towards Voluntaryism (Part 26)
3.9. Government: Enacting Anti-Corruption Legislation via Ballot Initiative
Towards Voluntaryism (Part 26)
Ballot Initiatives
Realistically, there is zero chance that public servants will ever - of their own volition - introduce or enact legislation that will limit their ability to unethically profit from their offices or make them truly accountable to their constituencies.
In order for the legislation proposed in Towards Voluntaryism parts 19-23 and to reign in the rampant corruption of public office and force public servants to be accountable to their constituencies, the public will have to force the issue.
This can be achieved in many states throughout the country (and in many developed republics) by the public drafting and bringing specific legislation to the voting box by carrying out a ballot initiative or referendum.
What is a Ballot Initiative?
A ballot initiative or referendum can allow citizens to vote directly on legislation they themselves have formulated, i.e. legislation that is not formulated, filtered or censored by public "servants".
In essence, citizens formulate a law they want to see enacted, collect enough signatures to get it on the ballot and then leave the decision to pass or reject the legislation by the wider electorate.
There are differing degrees of direct democracy and kinds of ballot initiatives in the United States and some require involving public legislators to get a ballot initiative to the vote. These are broadly terms direct vs. indirect initiatives.
The guidelines for initiating ballot initiatives varies from state to state and from city to city. In some jurisdictions it is easier and in some harder to get a ballot initiative to the vote. But it is possible throughout the United States.
By all accounts however, it is still a difficult process. Also to note is that many states have begun restricting how much can be covered in a single ballot initiative, and many states have single provision restrictions.
This means that the legislation proposed in Towards Voluntaryism parts 19-23 could be included in the state constitutions themselves, mandating all public servants to be accountable to their constituencies and eliminating their ability to unethically profit from their offices.
Redress for those public servants that seek to block ballot initiatives by the citizenry will be addressed in a subsequent section on how to recall or impeach public servants.
How To Start A Ballot Initiative
As mentioned, rules vary from locale to locale. The jurisdiction in which you wish to see a ballot initiated will determine where you should ask how it is to be done or gather information. For a municipal ballot, contact city hall. For a county-wide ballot, contact the county supervisors board. For a state-wide initiative, contact the governor's office to ask for information.
The reason this is not formulated more specifically follows from this passage from The National Conference of State Legislatures:
How an Initiative is Qualified for the Ballot
No two states have exactly the same requirements for qualifying initiatives to be placed on the ballot. Generally, however, the process includes these steps:
(1) preliminary filing of a proposed petition with a designated state official;
(2) review of the petition for conformance with statutory requirements and, in several states, a review of the language of the proposal;
(3) preparation of a ballot title and summary;
(4) circulation of the petition to obtain the required number of signatures of registered voters, usually a percentage of the votes cast for a statewide office in the preceding general election; and
(5) submission of the petitions to the state elections official, who must verify the number of signatures.
If enough valid signatures are obtained, the question goes on the ballot or, in states with the indirect process, is sent to the legislature. source
The following two graphics provide an overview of the different kinds of ballot initiative processes throughout the United States.
Recommendations Before Starting a Ballot Initiative
Before starting the formal process by contacting government offices, I recommend informing yourself as best as is possible via the internet what a ballot initiative in your jurisdiction entails. There are numerous resources that can help you know what to expect.
I personally would recommend engaging a lawyer to do an assessment of your current state of affairs and request a "snapshot" or summary evaluation of your legal standing prior to starting a ballot initiative. Consider putting a lawyer on retainer. This is a cautionary measure that may assist you in the future should public servants seek to use their office or influence to negatively affect your life due to ballot initiatives you instigate. Especially when pushing a ballot initiative that will be perceived as punishment of public officials by public officials, and could result in retributive action on their part, this would be a wise move.
Coordinate with a few like-minded friends that are willing to actually do something and not just bitch about the current state of affairs. Ballot initiatives are typically not one-person affairs (though in theory possible) and divvying up tasks just makes sense.
Keep in mind when dealing with public servants, they almost universally believe they are part of the solution and the public is the problem. There is no reason to be disrespectful or combative when dealing with public servants who are essentially minor functionaries, they have been cognitively captured by the system.
In closing, I would like to reiterate that waiting for the political class to reduce its ability to unethically profit from "campaign donations" or to voluntarily reduce their power while increasing their accountability is a case of Waiting for Godot.
To move towards Voluntaryism, it is necessary to exercise self defense inside of the weaponized system arrayed against freedom by using the tools available to reduce the size and authority of government while increasing the accountability of and restrictions on those engaged in the subjugation of their fellow citizens.
Some of the best resources to inform yourself about ballot initiatives (that I have been able to find) include:
Ballotpedia: This site is useful for informing yourself about ballot measures of all kinds. The site navigation is labyrinthine and search engine modest. To search the site, it is best to use an external search engine, e.g. "Ballotpedia how to ballot initiative in Colorado" destination.
Bolder Advocacy: This site provides a "ballot measure tool kit" to inform and empower. The site has a heavy focus on foundations and charities and their role in advocating policy change via ballot measures.
Ballot.org: This site is useful to staying informed on ballot initiatives in your area. The site has a library that requires you to register/request access. Note this site has a heavy progressive slant and is geared towards activism. You can however learn a lot about how to bring a ballot initiative to the vote. Read the What We Do page. (It is worth pointing out the suggestions made in Towards Voluntaryism parts 19-23 are non-partisan in nature and aimed at reducing corruption and increasing accountability, something all sides agree on. This means, know who you are talking to!)
NCSL - National Conference of State Legislatures: This is an excellent to learn about the functions and operations of state legislatures. It is also an organization that seeks to uphold the 10th Amendment, preventing federal overreach.
Next: [Towards Voluntaryism (Part 27) - ]
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Relevance: Fighting Corruption
many states have begun restricting how much can be covered in a single ballot initiative, and many states have single provision restrictions
Oddly enough that does not seem to apply at the state or federal level.
Omnibus bills or bill with multiple 'amendments' that have nothing to do with the bill in question come to mind..
Yes, the in-your-face stance of government that it is entitled to do things the citizenry is not is nauseating to say the least. Perhaps the most insulting was when congress allowed itself to participate in insider trading. and got caught, so changed the law to make it look like they were doing the right thing, then changed it back again later when the heat died down. The population is really treated like chattel.
I am way behind in reading these carefully, but I appreciate you doing them. I suspect I'll be revisiting them in the future. I will still support them with up votes when I see them, even if I haven't been able to read them in detail as this series of yours is quality work and really get's the mind working.
No worries, our lives are all quite busy. I am working on these in my spare moments and the idea for them developed over about six months. It is a lot to read and how everything fits together isn't immediately apparent.
That is why I intend to do a kind of Action Plan summary at the end. I will probably put that in at the end of the section on government as many parts of the section on the economy may be outdated upon publication with everything going on in the cryptosphere right now.
I am immensely thankful for your attention when you can give it, and your upvotes definitely help with visibility, which is the primary reason I used to use the vote bots, but having informed myself more about how they affect the Steemit ecosystem, I have stopped using those recently.
I do have one question you could help me with though if you don't mind. Where can I see when people tag me via @cupidzero in the main text of their post? I goolaged that and couldn't find an answer. It doesn't appear to be in my reply section... noob question, I know :P