Here are my amendment suggestions for Florida 2018 Ballot:
Before giving recommendations, let me explain my approach.
When considering Constitutional Amendments, I impose a very high standard for voting "yes", based on several factors including need, understandably, unintended consequences, and are they of specific and single focus.
Furthermore, VOTERS DO NOT SEE the ACTUAL LANGUAGE of the Amendments but rather a "description" of the language and its "intent".
Therefore, the reason for my approach is that constitutional amendments are more permanent, difficult to alter, and near impossible to gauge the impact.
The arguments for passing them usually are: "we're restricting government" or "we're holding government accountable" or "this is democracy in action".
Rarely are any of these arguments born out. Instead, politicians devise new often less obvious ways to get what they want. Meanwhile, voters are often used by parties to limit democratic institutions not expand them.
Given these factors, I set an extremely high bar to support constitutional amendments.
Given that, I'll be voting "NO" ON ALL of the Amendments on the Florida 2018 Ballot.
While some of them seem like good ideas or are enticing, none of them can guarantee the intended outcome.
For example numbers 1, 2 & 5 would simply shift some of the tax burden to local governments, many of which are run by liberals. They would be only too happy to have that "burden" to run on and deal with. That $250 "tax savings" promised by 1 could end up costing twice that because it does not alter expenditure commitments.
Number 3 would make ANY future statewide or local changes to gambling impossible. Gambling could not expand but neither could it be curtailed.
Number 4 doesn't tell you that almost all violent and repeat offenders, including sexual predators, would benefit from its passage.
6,7,9,10,11 are catch all hodge podges of totally unrelated issues. 7,9, and 11 are already on course to be struck down by the Florida Supreme Court because they're all over the place.
12 will do nothing to stem lobbying and 13 opens a can of worms that could affect hunting, fishing, horse racing and even how pets are cared for.
So, for me it's now easy. I'm voting "NO" on all Amendments.
Please call in to our show if you would like further explanations or to debate my recommendations. Live Call-In Line: 407-774-8255 M to F 5:00 to 7:00 PM on FM 105.5 AM 660 the Answer. You can also listen live on www.americanadversaries.com
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Christopher Hart
American Adversaries Radio Show