Jim Fossel’s Nov. 5 Maine Sunday Telegram column about the referendum process is misleading.
The headline claims that the “Legislature is ignoring will of people.” I find they are doing their job.
We are a republic, under a democracy, who elect representatives to do the people’s business.
Had the ranked choice voting partisans done their job, and allowed the process to be vetted before it was sent to the voters, they would have found it violated the Maine constitution avoiding many pitfalls.
Our Maine constitution is built on the notion of “one man, one vote.” The candidate for governor or Legislature with the most votes garnered is declared the winner. Period.
The attorney general has said as much. People are under the illusion all successful referendums become law but not until after a vetting process, and they may not pass muster.
The only true democracy is our yearly town meetings (of which there are fewer every year) with a level playing field for all. The most taxed citizen is level with one who pays no taxes when they are doing the town’s business.
Maybe we should disband state government and have one all-citizen meeting once to do our business? Impossible.
When it came to ranked choice voting referendum Mr Fossel writes about, the Legislature did its job delaying the process until it could be brought into line with the principle of “one man, one vote.”
I should also say I have known Mr. Fossel from his time as a babe in his mother’s arms and am glad of his journalism success.
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