Balance of Power Needed in Connecticut

BALANCE OF POWER NEEDED IN CONNECTICUT

Connecticut is widely viewed as the “bluest of blue” states. It wasn’t always that way. With the exception of our Legislature, the two major parties have shared the state constitutional and Federal offices. That is no longer the case. The Democrats hold all 7 Federal offices, as well as all five state constitutional offices. In a political system like Connecticut, there is no realistic balance of power, and that hurts Connecticut citizens who have no where to turn to bring about change, or express their discontent with the entrenched political elite.

Compounding the inequities of Connecticut’s political structure is the Hartford Courant’s finding in it’s December 4, 2011 editorial, where their analysis of the 2010 Legislative election, found that only 77 of the 187 legislative contests were “in serious play”. This lack of political competition, even with campaign finance reform, where taxpayers provide most of the funding for these positions, has led to career politicians. Back in the 1980’s, when I served in the Connecticut House, career politicians were the exception, where now they are the norm. We even had competition in 1984, when the Republicans won both the State House and Senate.

With an anemic, impotent Republican Party, and very restrictive election laws neutering third party efforts in Connecticut, Connecticut citizens are left with only one option to create any semblance of a political balance of power – DIRECT DEMOCRACY.Thirty-one (31) states have direct democracy, ballot initiative, referendum and recall. These citizen rights give voters the power to make laws, such as term limits; repeal laws; and remove elected officials from office. In Wisconsin, Democrats and the labor unions recently initiated an unsuccessful recall election to remove incumbent Governor, Scott Walker from office. The Democrats and unions were exercising their rights under Wisconsin's recall law. The election did not go their way, but millions of Wisconsin voters were able to express themselves on a major public policy question, which is the essence of direct democracy.

In 2010, a Rasmussen Poll of Connecticut voters found 65% in favor of having statewide initiative and referendum rights. In 2008, a Courant poll reflected a similar expression of overwhelming public support. Connecticut citizens have responsibly and routinely exercised initiative and referendum rights on a local level for decades. Many Connecticut editorial boards have endorsed Connecticut having initiative and referendum, including New England’s larges t newspaper, the liberal Boston Globe. In the 2010 state elections, gubernatorial candidates Republican Tom Foley and Independent Tom Marsh,and the Green and Libertarian Parties endorsed Connecticut citizens having initiative and referendum rights. In that election, more than half the Republican legislative candidates endorsed initiative and referendum, while the entire Democratic political establishment ducked.

The Portland Herald, Maine’s largest newspaper, in a tribute to Maine’s direct democracy laws, stated in a July 2011 editorial, that “Direct democracy is a safety valve built into Maine’s political process, giving voters a chance to make laws, when their elected officials won’t, or to strike down really bad ideas that come out of Augusta”. Isn’t it time that Connecticut emulate the other 31 states with direct democracy, and give its citizens a place at the public policy table? I say, wake up Connecticut.