Alaska

A Tough Night For The Wolves

Joe Mathews — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:52:00 -0400

All four Alaska ballot initiatives -- on gambling, campaign finance, greater mining regulation and aerial hunting of animals -- were defeated in that state's primary elections Tuesday. The hunting initiative, Measure 2, which would have banned the aerial hunting of wolves and other creatures, had the strongest showing, but appears to have won only 44 percent of the vote, according to the most recent state election results. Measures to establish a gaming commission and public financing of elections did particularly poorly. Reaction here via the Fairbanks paper.

Alaskans Head To Polls; Wolves Await People's Verdict

Joe Mathews — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:25:00 -0400

Alaskans will consider four initiatives Tuesday, including a ban on aerial hunting of wolves and other wildlife. The above ad for Measure 2 stays aways from the controversial wolves, and instead dwells on the far more cuddly bears.

By Alaska standards, this election has been unusually costly and high-profile. The other measures concern public financing of campaigns, gambling, and new regulation of mines in the name of cleaner water. The last received the full front-page and editorial treatment from the New York Times. Total spending for and against the measure is likely to top $10 million. That's enormous in a state of 670,000 people. To translate, if there was similar per-capita spending on a California ballot initiative, the total spending would approach $600 million.

More Than Wolves

Joe Mathews — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:37:00 -0400

The Aug. 26 state elections in Alaska are approaching. The political world is watching to see if indicted U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens can survive the Republican primary. This blog is watching Ballot Measure 2, the Alaska initiative to bar the shooting of wolves from the air. (Aerial population control of grizzlies and wolverines also would be covered by the ban). But there are three other measures, one on gaming, one establishing public finance for campaigns, and a third, Prop 4, that would put new regulations on mines in the name of cleaning water. The Homer paper provides a rundown of the measures here.

Tuesday Round Up: School's Out on Nevada Election Day

Joe Mathews — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:52:00 -0400

TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL: Here's an important and under-reported story: Nevada's schools will be closed on Election Day in November. That should boost turnout in a swing presidential state. And it also could give a boost to the Nevada teachers' unions, who are attempting to raise gaming taxes to boost education funds. Not having to teach that day will boost turnout. Also, about 800 of the poll workers could be students, says the state's registrar of voters. In related news, a Nevada judge rules that two measures to tax gaming to provide funds for education can remain on the ballot. The judge thinks they make little sense, but says that the voters have the right to decide that for themselves.

AG'S DOMAIN: Some agriculture interests are getting aggressive in opposing Prop 98, one of the two measures on June's California ballot that would put restrictions on eminent domain. The Sacramento Bee says that this represents a divide in the agriculture community, since the California Farm Bureau is one of the initiative's backers. (Prop 98's restrictions include tigher limitations on using condemnation for private purposes and on retn control than its competitor, Prop 99).

COLORADO CORPORATE FRAUD: The proponent of the Colorado initiative making business executives criminally responsible for corporate fraud explains himself.

MAINE MISS: The Maine initiative to establish a casino has lost its campaign manager, according to ballotpedia.

A DIFFERENT WAY OF PUBLIC FINANCING: An Alaska legislative committee has added money to the state budget for education campaigns that appear to be designed to fight off a ballot initiative lawmakers don't much like. Since states by law often have to provide unbiased information -- most notably in voter pamphlets -- this action is a mistake and should be quickly reversed.

OREGON TOP TWO ADVANCES: An initiative to establish a "top two" primary system in Oregon appears likely to qualify for the November ballot. This style of "open" (that is, multi-party) primary has recently received some backing from the U.S. Supreme Court, which struck down previous open primaries. Here's a description of how it works.

Wolves Video

Joe Mathews — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:08:00 -0400

Pardon all the animal talk. Your blogger doesn't keep pets and has a fear of most animals as a result of growing up on the streets of Hong Kong (wild dogs) and Southern California (coyotes). But direct democracy is all about animals these days. Three political consultants -- who live in three separate time zones -- told me last week that they expect a measure on confinement of farm animals to be the biggest initiative campaign in California this fall. The agriculture industry -- particularly the chicken folks -- see this initiative as a mortal threat.

I came across the following video in my attempts to learn more about the aerial wolf hunting initiative scheduled for the August ballot in Alaska. It's by Defenders of Wildlife, so take it with a grain of salt. But it gave me at least a mental picture of what Alaskans will be debating this summer.

TUESDAY ROUND UP: Colorado Corporate Crooks, and Suicide on the Street

Joe Mathews — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:51:00 -0400

NYT MISSES THE POINT IN COLORADO: The New York Times weighs in on the Colorado ballot initiative that would make corporate executives criminally responsible if their companies break the law. The Times focuses on the angry Qwest employees who are backing the measure, and misses the larger context. The initiative is part of a union-business battle that encompasses other measures in the state. The center of the fight is a right-to-work initiative, which has been countered by five recent initiatives filed by the United Food and Commercial Workers, best known for representing the people working in grocery stores.

RIGHT TO DIE ON THE STREET: Well, not yet. But the attacks have begun on the latest assisted suicide initiative from ex-Governor Booth Gardner. Petition gatherers, many from California, are already on the street gathering signatures. Anyone out there know the price?

DOG DEBATE: A debate breaks out over how many workers might be affected if a dog-track measure doesn't pass in Massachusetts.

LEAVE FUNDING HEADED TO BALLOT? A Washington state law giving parents five weeks off with pay to be with a new child is set to take effect in Oct. 2009. But there's no funding mechanism. A tax measure is likely headed to the Nov. 2009 ballot that would provide the funds, but that may be too late.

ALASKA, NATION UNTO ITSELF: Your blogger, in this new attempt to track ballot measures nationwide, continues to be amazed by how Alaska is governed. He's planning a trip there this summer to cover the August state elections. Here's an explanation of the tax cap in Fairbanks. He dares you to understand it.

More Wolves!

Joe Mathews — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:10:00 -0400

Your blogger simply can't get enough news of the wolf-heavy ballot initiative politics of Alaska. In this latest development, legislators are trying to slip through a bill that effectively would remove the ability of voters to decide how wolves are hunted. Fortunately, the Anchorage Daily News is calling them on it.

Easter Round Up: Watchdogs and Wolves

Joe Mathews — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:00:00 -0400

Odds and ends from the past week...

TELL US WHAT YOU REALLY THINK: Steve Maviglio, Democratic political operative and aide to Speaker Fabian Nunez, unloads on the Foundations for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, now called Consumer Watchdog. The group is putting together a ballot initiative on health care.

EMINENT DOMAIN MEASURES: As the California press corps withers, Capitol Weekly gets stronger. This past week, the newspaper has an excellent account of the back-and-forth over two competing eminent domain measures on the June ballot, Propositions 98 and 99. In brief, backers of Prop 98 (supported by an anti-tax group) are accusing backers of Prop 99 (supported by California cities) of "astro-turfing," the practice of using deceptively-named organizations with no real members.

WOLVES!!! A new development in the wolf wars in Alaska. A judge says the government can continue to shoot wolves from the air, though he invalidated the practice in certain parts of the state. The question of such aerial hunting -- to reduce the wolf population and protect caribou and other species -- goes to voters in the Last Frontier in August.

MISSED THIS: Last week, the Supreme Court approved Washington state's open primary, which was approved by voters as Initiative 872. The ruling offers important guidance, because the courts have struck down open primaries in California and other states. Open primaries allow voters to select from candidates of any party on a ballot; previous challenges have argued that such primaries infringe the rights of political parties to choose their own nominees. The Washington initiative appears to have passed muster because it did not specifically choose nominees. It merely set up a first round with all the candidates on the ballot; the top two, regardless of party, advanced to the general election.

LOOPHOLE? Are Washington state legislators scheming to find a way around an initiative establishing a two-thirds supermajority for tax increases?

SOUTH DAKOTA: Signatures are turned in on an initiative that would prohibit taxpayer-financed lobbying and most campaign donations from government contractors to public officials. Such prohibitions have been challenged successfully on First Amendment grounds elsewhere.

BUSINESS ON BUSINESS: Yet another business vs. business fight at the ballot: a lawsuit seeks to knock off the ballot an initiative that would treat private rental homes in Big Bear more like businesses. (Hoteliers have complained about the competition.)

THE KIDS LOVE HIGH SPEED RAIL: College students, under the auspices of CalPIRG, do a California tour in support of an oft-delayed high-speed rail bond scheduled for the November ballot.

A Little Gem from the Last Frontier

Joe Mathews — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:36:00 -0400

This is a fascinating little story about a municipal ballot measure in Anchorage, Alaska. The goal? Deregulate the taxi business there.

THURSDAY ROUND-UP: San Francisco Anglophilia, a Student Mistake, and Wolves!

Joe Mathews — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:57:00 -0400

QUESTION TIME: Last year, San Francisco voted down a ballot initiative that would have required the mayor to submit to "question time" from the board of supervisors, in the same manner that British prime ministers must take questions in the House of Commons. But the board of supes hasn't given up, inviting Mayor Gavin Newsom to show up and take questions. He is declining these invitations. Newsom, who remains popular despite a public confession of adultery with a top aide's wife, has been deflecting requests for information of all kinds as he explores a race for governor in 2010. (Arnold is termed out, so the seat is open).

ROOKIE MISTAKE: California college students, angry about tuition hikes, have filed an initiative called for a five-year tuition freeze starting in 2009. But don't bet on the measure making the ballot. The group of students behind the measure has announced it is going to use volunteers to gather signatures. What they'll discover is that it is far more costly and time-consuming -- and less effective -- to field teams of volunteers than it is to simply hire paid signature gatherers. The students would find it cheaper -- and would be more likely to gather signatures -- if they devoted themselves to raising money for a paid campaign. Here's a story on the volunteer effort.

SHOOTING WOLVES IN THE LAST FRONTIER: In the northern reaches of our country, wolves have been the target of ballot initiative campaigns, often feeling the same vitriol reserved for immigrants and child molesters in other parts of the country. Alaska is now debating a ballot initiative that would prohibit "aerial wolf control" -- that is, state biologists shooting wolves from the air, a common practice for controlling -- them, except in a "biological emergency." For critics, the thinning of the caribou herd (blamed on wolves attacking caribou calves) constitutes an emergency. Also in Alaska, a public financing plan for state elections makes the ballot. The text of the measure is here. MARYLAND SLOTS: The referendum to raise taxes and permit slot machines survives a Republican court challenge and heads to the November ballot.

IS THIS VOTE NECESSARY? Citizens in a Colorado town that has only 800 voters want to put a referendum on a development question. My question: With so few voters, wouldn't it be simpler, cheaper and more productive to hold a meeting?

MORE CALIFORNIA LOCAL DEVELOPMENT BATTLES: This is an issue we're tracking close: the growing use of municipal and county ballots to decide land use questions that city governments are paid to solve. Here's an initiative to limit developers in San Marcos (in the San Diego area). In Redwood City (in northern California), environmental groups are seeking to qualify an initiative requiring two-thirds voter approval of any future development of city open space. And in Thousand Oaks, where there's already a big June ballot battle between a local hardware store chain and Home Depot, mobile home residents have submitted an initiative that would give them a chance to buy the land under their homes.