Saying, “No” the Metternich way . . .

by Cameron Swann

Real estate web programmer

Author website

So, I get to vote, even though I’m only fourteen! Earlier today my father, Greg Swann, gave me the pamphlet that contains information on all the propositions for this year’s general elections, which are taking place tomorrow. He told me that, if I told him how I would vote for each proposition, and he agreed with my opinions, he would vote that way tomorrow.

In a nutshell, here are this year’s propositions:

• Prop 100: Removing bail for illegal immigrants
• Prop 101: Modifies property taxes
• Prop 102: Denies the award of punitive damages to illegal immigrants
• Prop 103: Makes English the official state language
• Prop 104: Allows ‘communities’ to control neighborhood development
• Prop 105: Allows Legislature to seize up to 400,000 acres of land, without any compensation, and designate it as conserved land
• Prop 106: Allows Legislature to seize up to 694,000 acres of land, without any compensation, and designate it as land only to be used for educational purposes.
• Prop 107: Amends the State Constitution to make marriage a union between one man and one woman and abolish the creation of legal status similiar to marriage for unmarried people
• Prop 200: Creates a ‘voter reward system’
• Prop 201: Bans smoking in public areas
• Prop 202: Raises minumum wage
• Prop 203: Creates an early childhood health monitoring program, while taxing smokers to pay for the program
• Prop 204: Introduces fines for animal cruelty pertaining to pigs and calves
• Prop 205: Requires all elections to be mail-in only
• Prop 206: Another ban on smoking
• Prop 207: Restricts eminent domain
• Prop 300: Restricts eligibility for public programs to legal citizens of America
• Prop 301: Denies bail for those caught under the influence or in possesion of methamphetamine
• Prop 302: Raises State Legislator’s salaries by $12,000

After much reading and reflection, I voted “No” across the board, in a Metternichian style of acting. In my opinion, every proposition either was useless or gave the government more power.

Here are some more in-depth explanations for why I voted “No”:

• Prop 100: Causes overcrowded jails
• Prop 101: If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it
• Prop 102: Creates the need for more government jobs, to check the status of every person in a civil lawsuit
• Prop 103: Creates the need for more government jobs, to monitor all official occurences
• Prop 104: How can a majority decide whats best for an individual?
• Prop 105: Just plain theft
• Prop 106: Just plain theft
• Prop 107: AZ already has a ban on same-sex marriage. This is just useless
• Prop 200: Uses taxpayer money to pay taxpayers
• Prop 201: Although I dislike smoking, this restricts the freedom of an individual
• Prop 202: Merely an incentive to use union workers instead of non-union members
• Prop 203: Keeps children healthy by penalizing people of a certain lifestyle
• Prop 204: Increases need for government workers
• Prop 205: Mail can be ‘lost’ or ‘adjusted’
• Prop 206: Although I dislike smoking, this restricts the freedom of an individual
• Prop 207: Partly good, except for one of the changes: ‘primary residences taken by eminent domain must be replaced by a comparable dwelling.’ Where are these ‘comparable dwellings’ going to come from? Non-primary residences seized through eminent domain is my guess
• Prop 300: Creates the need for more government jobs
• Prop 301: Over-crowding of jails
• Prop 302: If only that were enough to stop the bribes…

I realize that not everyone will be able to take the time I have to go through the ballot propositions one by one, but, luckily, it is still safe in Arizona to vote “No” on everything.