Vote against initiatives

Our founding fathers gave us a constitutional republic, which meant there would be no legislation by the public at large. Yet the initiative process adopted by our state at the height of the Progressive Era in 1912 does just that by giving voters direct legislative power. This process undermines one of the pillars of our republic, representative government and violates the constitutional mandate of “a Republican form of government” for every state in the Union. (Article IV, Section 49).

Initiatives, or lawmaking by ballot, is by definition democracy, a form of government our founding fathers considered dangerous, unstable and usually ending in tyranny. Thomas Jefferson said, “A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where 51 percent of the people may take away the rights of the other 49 percent.”

If passed, all six initiatives on the ballot will increase the power of the state and further diminish our individual freedoms and rights. Please get informed, read the voters pamphlet, and help stop our drift toward democracy by voting no on all six initiatives.

Steve Dunham

Spokane