RE: Initiative Process

[Ellen Russak <erussak@aol.com>]

Ken Diamond writes: "And though special interest groups have learned to exploit it (initiative), I, along most people in states with an initiative process don't want to see it go. That's because the alternative is leaving power solely to politicians who are widely and, in my opinion, justifiably distrusted. Like I've written earlier, I would like to see the initiative process reformed, only not by politicians who oppose it because it undermines their power."

I agree that initiative has occasionally done great good in areas I care deeply about and where it was obvious that change would have come no other way.  I would be interested in knowing how it could be reformed to avoid the types of chaos it has caused in California - particularly now that the destructive (in my opinion), big monied, special interests have learned to utilize the initiative process against the very people initiative was put in place to protect - and they have the money and expertise to do it better? 

And also, how it can it be justified in a representative form of government, which I also care deeply about.