Diary of a Democratic Delegate - The State Ballot Proposals

It's been a while since I opined in this space, but I would like to share some thoughts today on the six state issues you'll see on the back page of your Nov. 6 ballot. All are important and could touch your life in a significant way, so it makes sense to read everything you can about them. . . .One key recommendation: take all those TV ads and mailers with a grain of salt. A corollary to that is to "consider the source" of any advocacy - including this missive. Lots of special interests are playing in this election - so keep your eyes and ears wide open! . . . NOW MY THOUGHTS. . . .Proposal ONE was petitioned onto the ballot to overturn a new state law dealing with emergency managers and state takeovers of cities in financial trouble.  If you like the new law, as Gov. Snyder does, vote yes. If you think it goes too far in taking away local control and needs to be fixed, as I do, VOTE NO. . . .Proposal TWO  pits business against unions representing working people. It was initiated as a pre-emptive strike aimed at keeping the anti-labor Republicans now in control in Lansing from passing right-to-work and other anti-labor legislation. Over the past two years, the Lansing crowd has not pushed as hard on anti-labor issues as have their counterparts in Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio, but they have passed and introduced many bills heading in that direction. Businesses are spending a ton of money to complicate the matter and discourage passage. To me, if approved, Proposal Two helps maintain the level playing field for working people, and, most importantly, takes this divisive matter off the table so that we can work together on job creation. We need a race to the top, not a push to the bottom, where wages will fall lower and lower because protections will be wiped away by anti-labor politicians. For working families, VOTE YES. . . .Proposal THREE is a pro-environmental initiative which would force the utilities to use more clean energy from wind, solar and other so-called non-carbon alternative sources. It's a tough reach for them, which is why DTE and the others are fighting it so aggressively. I like the visionary policy, and because the law as I read it has some off-ramps on utility costs, I join former Governors Milliken and Granholm in saying VOTE YES. . . .Proposal FOUR enables home health care workers to join a union. This, along with Prop 2, is another of those business-labor battles. I stand with the working folks, VOTE YES. . .Proposal FIVE is a disaster actively supported by the Ambassador Bridge people; it would require supermajorities in the legislature on tax increases. California had this law,  and it created political mischief, gridlock and ill will - so much so that the voters killed it. Literally everyone familiar with state government, from the Chamber of Commerce to the Catholic Conference, are on record as saying VOTE NO. Me too. . . .Proposal SIX is the Matty Maroun kill-the-bridge and save-my-monopoly proposal. He has spent a ton of money (your money from increased bridge tolls and excess gas sale profits) to obscure the facts. This is not about teachers, firemen and roads. It is about Matty trying to throw a monkey wrench into the plan to build a new badly-needed bridge. I join the past four governors, the Chamber, the autos, most of labor and our friends in Canada in strongly saying VOTE NO. . . .So there you are, three yeses - 2,3,4 - bracketed by three nos - 1,5,6. . . .However you feel about these issues, vote!