Tag: Perspective

Is that not what the supreme court is being asked to validate? In the case before our Nation's highest court, the justices are being asked to determine whether California's 2008 Proposition 8 as enacted by voters is constitutional.  They are being asked to either affirm or deny the decision of United States District Court Judge Vaughn Walker,  who overturned it on August 4, 2010; his argument being a violation of both the Due Process clause, and Equal Protections clause of the 14th amendment.

A inaccurate understanding of the 14th amendment if ever there was one.

Due Process guarantees a process under which something might be taken.  It allows the imposed upon person or class to prepare a defense or answer to actions being used to deprive an individual, or group, a particular thing.  It also requires law to be sufficiently understandable or substantive.

"Although we fell short of the number of signatures required, the results are unprecedented in recent Michigan history," said Charlie Owens, NFIB State Director. "Critics who are dismissive of our efforts would do well to consider this fact in light of ongoing efforts that will continue through the elections in November."

Owens said that most ballot petition drives use paid petition signature gathering firms, spend millions of dollars and have a much longer time frame than this effort. "The average petition drive has six months to gather signatures and spends about $1.5 million. "We had about 11 weeks and spent about 2 percent of that amount and we still managed to obtain a record number of signatures," said Owens. "This is a battle, not the war; we will carry on with this fight in the courts, with legislation and at the ballot box in November."

The NFIB was the only state business organization to participate in the petition drive. They at least tried.  So did a great many of us in a great many parts of the state. My own count nowhere near the efforts of some others even locally.  One NFIB member brought in a couple hundred by herself, and that was in a first time of signature gathering.  Others in the 912 groups and Tea Party organizations worked hard as well.  And even those who felt it was too much of an uphill battle gave it a shot, not because they thought it would happen, but because it was worth it.

We have truly committed citizens who are willing to spend their time on those things that matter for our country.  THEIR time.