Dear Mom - Political Nihilism? Or Just More Nuttiness?

Dear Mom,

Further signs of the oncoming apocolypse - or maybe just random awfulness or silliness: First of all, understand that in Arizona, we looove our ballot initiatives. There's always several to consider, and plenty more that don't make it because of insufficient valid signatures or other matters of parliamentary procedure. This year they range from a proposition to legalize medical marijuana to one that regularizes the succession process when a governor does not complete a full term - something that, for some reason or another, happens an awful lot here. In the last thirty years or so, three governors were removed for illegal or corrupt activity, and two left to take on other jobs - most recently Gov. Janet Napolitano was asked to become Pres. Obama's Director of Homeland Security. (I would think it's hard to say 'no' to the President of the United States). It happens that in Arizona there's no Lieutenant Governor - if the Governor 'cannot complete his/her term', the Secretary of State steps up. Which is fine, except for two things - you end up without a Secretary of State for at least some period of time and, more crucially, the Secretary of State, for some reason, is almost never from the same party as the Governor! This is, in fact, our current situation, with the lovely Jan Brewer. Just about everyone on both sides of the political spectrum agrees that it would be a good idea to regularize this situation.

But wait, don't order/vote yet! There's a couple of other points in the proposition that are giving some of us pause. 1) the Secretary of State position would basically cease to exist, with its actual duties parcelled out to other offices. 2) Any Gubernatorial candidate on the state ballot would also have to have a Lt. Governor of the same party. This has created quite a storm, and accusations that the backers of the proposition are trying to stifle third party activity, since often smaller parties have trouble coming up with such a candidate. The other POV here is that if you can't find someone to run for LT Governor, maybe you're not ready for the big time...? Anyway, it's a mess.

But that's not the reason for the heading on this letter. The other day I was driving to work when I saw the usual array of signs along the road: Vote for Him, Keep Her in Office, Vote for This Proposition or Face a Lonely Death, Send That Proposition Back to Hell Where It Belongs, etc... when I saw a new one: Vote NO on All Ballot Propositions.

Just Say No. Not to drugs. To everything! Whatever they propose, say no to it. It does have the advantage of efficiency. And I have to admit, some of them are pretty bad - the ones giving the State Government the power to raid early education and public land funds to balance the budget - while some are just silly. But No to Everything? Pre-emptively? That's pretty nihilistic.

Or maybe just politics as usual in our fair state!

Love,
b

PS. Reading a book you'd have loved - Queen Consorts, which traces British History through the political, personal and social/cultural impact of every Queen Consort from William the Conqueror's Matilda (btw - lots of Matildas in medieval history - to Elizabeth of York's marriage to Henry VII.