While most eyes are watching the polls in Ohio, the Michigan 2012 ballot proposals may give Mitt Romney enough of a boost to win the state over Barack Obama. The six state-wide proposals will prove to have a major impact on the economy and Michigan state constitution. Conservatives, Libertarians and Tea Party forces are spending serious time and money challenging most of the ballot initiatives. So while Ohio may have been crucial in past elections, the fact that Wisconsin already has a well proven Republican ground game after their recall election, and the in-state fight here in Michigan could wind up be far more important to the national election.
Proposal 1 deals with extending the power of the state over local municipalities, specifically those in financial trouble where the Governor would appoint an Emergency Manager to take over the community or school district. This one ruffles many feathers, both in Democrat and Republican strongholds as it is seen as an attempt to usurp local governing. Existing laws on this matter are being challenged in the courts and the ballot proposal is being used to establish new guidelines for the legal-eagles to mull over. Polls show opponents with a slight edge.
Proposal 2 is a real hot-bed issue of guaranteeing union organizing and collective bargaining rights for both private and public service employees. While a provision will allow for laws to prevent public employees from striking, the ballot measure will override other existing labor laws. Democrats and unions support passage and the one poll taken back in September shows them up by 5 points, 48% to 43%. Needless to say, those hoping to make Michigan a Right-To-Work-State oppose its passage.
Proposal 3 is a real barn-burner! It would require that the State of Michigan develop green energy to account for 25% of electricity produced by 2025. Democrats, unions and environmentalists are all behind it, as well as some major green energy corporations in California, which haven′t gone bankrupt yet. Opponents argue that the ballot proposal would cost Michigan consumers an extra $12 Billion dollars and that by adding this as a constitutional amendment, make it very difficult to overturn. No polling has been done on this monstrosity.
Proposal 4 would amend the constitution and create a home care quality council to oversee regulating the care-giver industry. It would also establish unionization and collective bargaining. Yikes! You can guess who supports this beast. SEIU is one of the major backers. Aside from raising the cost of home care, it could very well prohibit family members from acting as care givers. Unfortunately, the only poll taken back in early September shows this one winning by a wide margin, 55% to 27%. The good news is that in the last week or two, opponents are starting to run TV ads.
Proposal 5 would amend the state constitution and require a 2/3rds majority vote by the state legislature to raise tax rates or impose new taxes. This one has wide support from our side (Conservatives, Libertarians and Tea Party members) and is being opposed by our dear Governor Rick Snyder and like-minded Progressives. No polling has been taken and this could be a real wild card in getting out a lot of voters.
Likewise, Proposal 6 is a hot-button ballot initiative that could make a big difference. It would require a public vote to approve funding to build a new bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. A lot of money is being spent by both pro and con. Grover Norquist has come out supporting this one while Gov. Snyder and his lapdogs oppose it. The only poll taken back in early September should supporters leading 47% to 44%.
So there you have the six Michigan 2012 ballot proposals and how they may draw out enough voters to put Mitt Romney in the White House. Having these many attempts to amend the Michigan state constitution, mostly in the wrong way, could play a decisive role in getting out a strong Republican, pro-liberty vote. Such would spell big trouble for Barack Obama, who has seen his poll number decline in Michigan recently. Coupling Michigan′s 16 electoral votes with Romney also possibly benefiting from a strong ground game in Wisconsin, which has 10 electoral votes, could make Ohio′s 18 votes meaningless. Frankly, I think Romney will take all 3 states. The trend is his friend and right now, Mitt is on a roll!
October 19th, 2012 at 11:00 am
Thanks for pointing out the six amendments that are on the ballot. It will be interesting how all these end up. Definite NO on 2,3,4,5, if we want to keep union top dogs from confiscating more of the tax payers income. The more we feed unions the harder it is to keep these monsters under control.
October 19th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
And No on 1. Last thing a state government needs to do is bail out a city that screwed up their finances. Larger (more important cities) would be the beneficiaries at the expense of smaller town which would be ignored.
October 19th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Rick Snyder is a Progressive?
Never heard that before.
October 19th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
I always thought Grover Norquist had done irreparable damage to our country and is proof that government can be bought so I guess I am not surprised that he is in favor of an amendment that is nothing but a delay tactic paid for by the billionaire owner of the current bridge who simply doesn’t want competition, public or otherwise.
Didn’t Canada offer to finance the majority of the new bridge?
October 19th, 2012 at 7:56 pm
Buzzbee, it’s Obama the one that has done irreparable damage to our country. Of course you can’t notice it, only those that don’t like taxes being raised on them do.
October 19th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
I think you’re overestimating WI a bit as polls show Obama with a 6 point lead according to an NBC/WSJ/Marist poll released last night. Even Rasmussen has a 2 point Obama lead. Michigan is pretty much toast for Mitt as well. And these polls don’t reflect that last debate.
There’s a neat little “make your own scenarios” swing state calculator at The New York Times. http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/electoral-map?hp#scenario
October 19th, 2012 at 11:20 pm
Gawd what bridge? We already have a bridge to nowhere so last thing we need is a bridge to hope and change.
In San Francisco they are wasting billions of dollars to build a new bridge to replace the old bridge that crosses the bay. Why? Because in 1989 a 6.9 earthquake knocked just one small section down. To me that proves a darn good bridge, but the idiots want it to withstand an 8.0 earthquake. So billions of dollars later, we will have a bridge that will get knocked down in a 9.0 earthquake. That would be government workers workin’ fer ya.
October 20th, 2012 at 5:14 am
Buzzbee,
I’ve been calling Snyder a Progressive for over two years now! Even wrote an article here explaining why. Aside from some of his other antics, Snyder’s last venture before running for office was a bio-tech firm that specialized in embryonic stem cell research. Of course, he wanted access to aborted fetuses so he could make money with them.
BTW, Canada does not want to fund the stupid bridge, either. The new bridge was to be part of the NAFTA Super-Highway from Mexico to Canada.
October 20th, 2012 at 5:17 am
I plan on voting NO on Props 1-4 and YES on 5 & 6. 5 would make it harder to increase taxes and 6 would make citizens decide the bridge vote.
October 20th, 2012 at 7:00 am
@ Ronald
You’re about a day and 6 trillion short.
Love how you totally ignored Gallups historic numbers for a rep.
October 20th, 2012 at 7:06 am
I spent a year in Michigan.
All I know is that Ypsilanti does not need another liquor store and Ann Arbor competes with Venice beach for the most available pu$$y.
Oh, and the lake is freaking gorgeous.
October 20th, 2012 at 7:11 am
Hamtramck, Michigan once held the record for the most neighborhood bars per capita in the country. But now that the Muslims are taking it over, probably has the most mosques.
October 20th, 2012 at 7:25 am
When I was there Dearborn had never heard of Muslims and Bob Seger was governor.
October 21st, 2012 at 4:02 am
Not even the rock band, The Polish Muslims, Micky?
October 21st, 2012 at 8:12 am
Maybe.
After all, I did see my first flasher in a gorilla costume in Ann Arbor.