Citizens in Charge

One powerful citizen tool that we don’t talk about as much here on the CICF Blog is the power of recall. Recall allows voters to remove a particularly unresponsive, corrupt, or even unpopular elected official from office before their term is up. Citizens in 18 states have the power to recall state-level officials. Many other local jurisdictions give their voters recall powers as well.

This weekened millions of Americans celebrated the 4th of July, America’s Indpendence Day. Paul Jacob took a look at the significance of the holiday in his weekly column called “Freedom Never Takes A Holiday”. Celebrating over 200 years of freedom in the U.S.A., he also looks at freedom around in the U.S. and world. He writes:

Contact the Citizen State Coordinator in your state to get involved protecting and expanding the initiative and referendum process. If you don’t see a Coordinator listed for your state, click here to apply.

 

National Citizen Coordinator - Greg Schmid

Click here to email Greg.

 

Arizona - Eric Ehst

Click here to email Eric

 

California - Bruce Cohen

Click here to email Bruce

 

In a recent poll 93% of respondents agreed that the names of petition signers should not be placed in a searchable database on the Internet. In several states organizations are trying to put the names of all people who signed a petition into a searchable database.

 

Read more: Gay-rights group wants to “out” petition signers

Here at Citizens in Charge Foundation when we talk about petitioning, we usually refer to the formal petitioning done in the 24 states that have ballot initiative and referendum rights. This type of petitioning is great, and people in those states are more empowered to control government than in other states. But petitioning is really about people coming together to express their concerns - and show their numbers - on specific issues.

Paul Jacob, President of Citizens in Charge Foundation, http://www.CitizensInCharge.org, spoke at the National Taxpayers Union’s conference about the power of initiative and referendum for grassroots organizations, California’s Proposition 13 and tax payer bill of rights.

This weekend Paul Jacob spoke at the National Taxpayer Union’s National Taxpayers Conference about the power of the initiative and referendum (I&R) process.

Paul’s main comments focused on how regular grassroots activists can set the agenda and gain momentum on their issues by using I&R. He also makes the point that I&R has been a taxpayer’s best friend, as ballot measures have helped control government spending.

Watch a clip of Paul’s speech:

We hope you can join us for our next Citizens On Tap, an informal gathering of friends and colleagues seeking mutual understanding over a pint of beer (or wine…?) If you are in the D.C. metro / Northern Virginia area, please stop by and enjoy the fun, Today, Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at Hunan One in Arlington, VA. Meet us at the bar and check in. The first round is on us.

Please RSVP to Trevor@CitizensInCharge.org

Since the mid-1990s, California, Michigan, Nebraska, and Washington have passed ballot initiatives to ban affirmative action programs at the state level. Although Colorado last year narrowly rejected a similar initiative, and although petition drives failed to attract enough signatures in three other states…

Read the story from the National Journal

Throughout the month of June we will be looking at the history and impact of the ballot initiative, referendum and recall process.

These reforms, which started gaining popularity in the late 1800s, can be traced to the political philosophy of one of our founding father, Thomas Jefferson.

We wanted to start the series with a great piece by Paul Jacob, the President of the Citizens In Charge Foundation. For over 10 years Paul has hosted and authored Common Sense, a daily radio commentary.

Lawmakers in Wisconsin, Ohio, Montana and Mississippi failed to get a freeway speed camera measure onto a ballot, but points to Maryland as an example of lawmakers’ success. He says 13 states have specific laws banning freeway cameras, but he sees a natural progression from states using red-light cameras to using freeway speed cameras.

Read the story from CNN

Grassroots Director Brandon Holmes provides a new update on what local activists are doing to protect and expand the ballot initiative process throughout the nation.

A collection of conservative clergy operating in and around Washington, D.C. is petitioning the city to put the issue of same-sex marriage on the ballot this year.

Read the story from The Bulletin

ballotboxnews.com is from the Citizens in Charge Foundation. Its president is Paul Jacob.

Read the story at Block Buster Democracy