Early voting is in progress. You have until Oct. 22 to request your early ballot if you’re a qualified voter for the Nov. 2 general election. I brashly speak for a nation full of citizens who have left their comfort zones to fight for state and national stability. We encourage all eligible voters to use the freedom of the ballot.
This column is specifically planned for you to clip out and save to use when you vote. Often we fail to do our homework on ballot propositions. There are ten issues you care about, which need your careful attention. I’ve done my homework and I’m voting this way:
Proposition 106: YES on the Health Care Freedom Act. It will amend our state constitution, prohibiting any law from forcing you, your employer or health providers to participate in any particular health care system. It’s designed to allow you to opt out of federal mandates.
Proposition 107: YES on Stopping Preferential Treatment or Discrimination towards anyone in regards to hiring practices at publicly funded operations. This measure repeals affirmative action policies and allows fair opportunities for all job candidates.
Proposition 109: YES to Protect our Individual Rights in regards to accessing wild life. This will give constitutional rights for Arizona citizens to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife. It prevents any law or rule that would restrict those rights.
Proposition 110: YES to Protect Military Bases. This relates to state trust lands. It provides a process for protecting lands and preserving military facilities.
Proposition 111: NO to Changing the Title of the Secretary of State to Lieutenant Governor. The measure would allow the Governor and Lt. Governor to be elected with one vote. Should the Governor leave office, the same party would be assured continued gubernatorial power. Secretary of state should remain an independent race.
Proposition 112: YES to Increase the Deadline for Filing Propositions, allowing more time for signature verification.
Proposition 113: YES to Protect the Right to Privacy. The amendment to the state constitution will protect the right to vote by secret ballot. This right needs to be secured due to nationwide unions’ “card check” movement.
Proposition 203: NO against Arizona Medical Marijuana Act. Though this measure is promoted as a compassionate act for those who are suffering, look to California and Colorado for examples of why this is a catastrophic attack against social peace and public health.
Proposition 301: YES to Redirect State Land Trust Money. Arizona lawmakers are working to balance the budget. Money reserved to purchase open spaces will, instead, be used to fund K-12, healthcare and agencies, while also plugging a $124 million dollar hole in the state budget.
Proposition 302: YES to Redirect Early Childhood Money. $345 million from this redundant program will be separately accounted for and appropriated for childhood health and human services. Failure of this measure will result in further cuts to K-12, universities and low income healthcare.
I’m comfortable with my votes on these measures and I’m deeply proud of Arizona as a leader in the state’s rights movement. Tough decisions fill our days at home and in our communities, but when we keep hold of our local power to solve problems, our days hold assuring promises. We have much to be grateful for. Now go – be brave.
For more information on these propositions, go to: http://www.azsos.gov/election/2010/general/ballotmeasurepage.htm
East Valley resident Linda Turley-Hansen (turleyhansen@gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist and former Phoenix veteran TV anchor.
azredrocks posted at 9:11 pm on Sun, Oct 17, 2010.
Citizens of Arizona have long revered the constitutional right to the initiative process. It's served as an important political procedure when our officials fail to act in the public interest. Prop 109 intends to erode this constitutional right on wildlife protection issues. Today the power grab is directed at wildlife. Tomorrow, it could be anything else. I'm definitely voting NO on 109.
MizMiner posted at 7:30 am on Tue, Oct 12, 2010.
I will print out this list and pretty much vote the opposite on almost all the propositions. There are 4 I'm researching further.
Mike McClellan posted at 6:02 am on Sun, Oct 10, 2010.
A problem with most of these propositions is the vague wording of them, resulting in this:
job security for lawyers who will litigate these indefinitely.
Which is why, for example, Prop. 109 is so flawed.
And how many of these are coming from the legislature itself?
Some of these props are just Tea Party Arizonans inflicting their ideology on us. Ugh.
Rich posted at 7:29 pm on Sat, Oct 9, 2010.
Proposition 106: YES on the Health Care Freedom Act. It will amend our state constitution, prohibiting any law from forcing you, your employer or health providers to participate in any particular health care system. It’s designed to allow you to opt out of federal mandates. YES, NO it's irrelevant, the feds are dealing the cards here. It's silly to vote at all. You're playing the King and the feds hold he Ace.
Proposition 107: YES on Stopping Preferential Treatment or Discrimination towards anyone in regards to hiring practices at publicly funded operations. This measure repeals affirmative action policies and allows fair opportunities for all job candidates. Again you don't hold the Ace, playing the King is irrelevant and silly.
Proposition 109: YES to Protect our Individual Rights in regards to accessing wild life. This will give constitutional rights for Arizona citizens to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife. It prevents any law or rule that would restrict those rights.Why not? they really can't stop you in the first place.
Proposition 110: YES to Protect Military Bases. This relates to state trust lands. It provides a process for protecting lands and preserving military facilities. Again you're playing a King and don't hold the Ace. If the feds need to protect military bases whether or not you or Arizona approve is meaningless.
Proposition 111: NO to Changing the Title of the Secretary of State to Lieutenant Governor. The measure would allow the Governor and Lt. Governor to be elected with one vote. Should the Governor leave office, the same party would be assured continued gubernatorial power. Secretary of state should remain an independent race. I move we call the office the Arizona Purple Striped Unicorn. How silly can you get?
Proposition 112: YES to Increase the Deadline for Filing Propositions, allowing more time for signature verification. Every single citizen can petition the government, looking at the silly things they petition for is it really important?
Proposition 113: YES to Protect the Right to Privacy. The amendment to the state constitution will protect the right to vote by secret ballot. This right needs to be secured due to nationwide unions’ “card check” movement. If you're good enough you don't need a union. If you're not, you're better off with one. Vote and stick in anyone's face who asks. What have you got to be ashamed of?
Proposition 203: NO against Arizona Medical Marijuana Act. Though this measure is promoted as a compassionate act for those who are suffering, look to California and Colorado for examples of why this is a catastrophic attack against social peace and public health. If someone in pain feels better smoking a little pot, how sadistic are you to deny them that?
Proposition 301: YES to Redirect State Land Trust Money. Arizona lawmakers are working to balance the budget. Money reserved to purchase open spaces will, instead, be used to fund K-12, healthcare and agencies, while also plugging a $124 million dollar hole in the state budget. Why not let them balance the budget by taking a pay cut? Why steal your children's heritage to cover the incompetence of the people you elect?
Proposition 302: YES to Redirect Early Childhood Money. $345 million from this redundant program will be separately accounted for and appropriated for childhood health and human services. Failure of this measure will result in further cuts to K-12,
universities and low income healthcare.You steal money from people because they enjoy life more smoking and now you want to violate the reason for that violation? You are one sick puppy lady.
Mandria posted at 6:19 pm on Sat, Oct 9, 2010.
Is there any reason to make hunting and fishing a constitutional amendment? Has the system not been working fine for the last 80 years? Do we really want politicians having exclusive say over our wildlife management in AZ? Are we ready to give up our citizen's initiative rights? These questions and the vague language in Proposition 109 haunt me and that is why I will be voting NO on Proposition 109 in November.
Accuracy posted at 1:12 pm on Sat, Oct 9, 2010.
Vote first, ask questions later? . . . No, quite the contrary.
Linda Turley-Hansen, thanks for explaining the 10 propositions that will appear on the Nov. 2 general-election ballot.
Ask questions now. Your article presents good debate on the merits of the 10 Arizona ballot measures before voters in the 2010 General Election in Arizona.
The City of Mesa is also posing Proposition 420 and seven (7) questions to Mesa voters on the Nov. 2 election ballot.
Proposition 420 and Question are related to constructing an expanded spring-training facility for the Chicago Cubs. In Mesa, voter approval is needed before the city can spend more than $1.5 million on the facility.
But Proposition 420, which would authorize this spending, does not spell out what a new stadium will actually cost Mesa residents. No Cost cap for taxpayer-funded Cubs’ stadium.
AZnurse posted at 11:43 am on Sat, Oct 9, 2010.
If Ms. Turley-Hansen had really 'done her homework' and read the language of Prop 109, I doubt she would support it.
Prop 109 is a blatant power grab by politicians. This measure was referred to the ballot by the Arizona Legislature and would give the legislature “exclusive” authority over wildlife issues. The politicians who wrote and support Prop 109 are intent on preventing voters or professional wildlife scientists from having a say over wildlife protection policies. This vague, poorly-written measure could even It could even repeal the ban on leghold traps and poisons on public lands passed by voters in 1994.
Prop 109 is clearly a bad idea from an inept legislature.
4merFlores posted at 11:22 am on Sat, Oct 9, 2010.
[thumbdown]
The only thing 113 will do is support employer intimidation of union members. Like so many other propositions, 113 is a hoax, saying one thing while doing another. These so-called 'secret ballot' elections they want to mandate are practically management-controlled, with employees being called into one-on-one meetings with bosses and being threatened with job loss and pay cuts if the union wins. give me a break. NO on 113
abimopectore posted at 8:52 am on Sat, Oct 9, 2010.
Thanks Linda! I know now how not to vote! Propositions, although the will of the people, have been abused to create mandates that restrict the Legislature from doing its job, not that they do it well anyway. It should be the Legislature's job to lead and unfortunately most propositions have hidden agendas that create more quagmire and poor law. I will be voting NO straight across the board and I encourage all Arizonians to do the same.
AZNative posted at 7:09 am on Sat, Oct 9, 2010.
I'm voting NO on Prop 109. I just read the language of this proposition and encourage others to do the same before they cast their votes. It is poorly written and contains too many vague terms, such as “unreasonable” and “traditional”, that are not defined. Seems like an open invitation for a legal challenge! In these tough economic times do we really want more of our tax dollars spent fighting frivolous lawsuits?
Again, I urge you read the language and decide for yourself. I think you'll agree to vote NO on Prop 109.