Initiative Process

The flawed initiative process has become a dagger aimed at the heart of our most valued democratic principal: informed selection of representatives who are responsible to the voters to create laws that benefit and protect society.

The referendum or initiative procedure is dangerous because it obviates the function of the legislature and the informed debate that presumably precedes the voting. In effect, it eliminates the middleman.

Talk about election finance reform! There’s no need to “buy” legislators--big special interests can now buy the actual legislation.

At the last election, big gambling and insurance money were successful in buying Las Vegas-style casinos and some significant immunity for insurance companies by inundating the media with expensive advertising. Both of these measures had been rejected through the normal legislative process.

The danger is that the initiative process omits responsibility. If a measure is passed by elected representatives and it goes bad, there is an opportunity to blame the representatives and punish them at the next election. In the referendum procedure, the voters have only themselves to blame. And then they have no recourse.

Big business and big money combine with big advertising to create bad law and override our elected officials. Even if they are swayed by political contributions, they are at least accountable.

BERNARD LEHRER

Ventura