Media Coverage - Students Discuss Ballot Proposals
Published October 25, 2006. By Lindsay Henry. CM-Life
Survey: Many voters ignorant on initiatives not named No. 2
The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative and the gubernatorial race have dominated the election spotlight since this year’s inception.
But there are four other proposals on the Nov. 7 ballot.
And some might be more important than people think.
“Arguably, some of the proposals are more important than Proposal 2,” said Bill Ballenger, Griffin Endowed Chair for American Politics and temporary political science professor.
If passed, Proposal 2 will ban affirmative action policies in public institutions such as college and the workplace in Michigan.
Not passing Proposal 2 will leave Michigan policies unchanged.
“The most important (proposal) is probably Proposal 5, depending on your point of view,” Ballenger said.
If that is true, CMU students are split on the issue.
Proposal 5, which would allow for annual inflation rate increases on state funding for schools and universities, is supported by 50 percent of CMU students, according to a random, nonscientific poll conducted by Central Michigan Life.
Decatur sophomore Joseph Miller said he supports Proposal 5.
“I support that one because school needs money,” Miller said. “Better books, better technology will help students out for the future.”
Money from state general funding would be set aside for higher education. Funding also would be cut from programs such as health care and crime prevention.
Larry Sych, associate political science professor, said the proposal could have negative effects.
“To protect educational spending, what’s going to happen to these other programs?” Sych said. “That’s a lot of money. From a fairness standpoint, in general, the principle is the legislature has the responsibility to make decisions. Here, you’re tying the hands of the legislature.”
Another proposal causing an emotional stir is Proposal 3. If passed, the proposal would establish a hunting season for mourning doves.
Chesterfield senior Danielle Fracassa said she plans to vote no on Proposal 3.
“I don’t like hunting,” Fracassa said. “I don’t think birds should be shot for no reason.”
The mourning dove became Michigan’s official bird of peace in 1998, Sych said. However, more than 40 states have a mourning dove hunting season.
Leslie Little, Williamston junior and College Republican chairwoman, said College Republicans are in favor of Proposal 3 because there are a lot of hunters in Michigan who leave the state to hunt doves.
If Proposal 4 is approved, the government will be prohibited from taking private property and using it for public use, which is also known as eminent domain.
According to the survey, 76 percent of students did not know what they would vote on Proposal 4.
The issue of eminent domain abuse was highlighted in Poletown in 1981. Poletown, a neighborhood consisting of more than 1,000 residences and 600 businesses, was bulldozed by the City of Detroit. The property was given to General Motors to build a Cadillac auto plant, according to the Institute of Justice Web site, ij.org.
Proposal 1 calls for the creation of a constitutional amendment requiring Department of Natural Resources funds to be used for only their intended purposes.
Similar to Proposal 5, money will be set aside strictly for DNR use.
“It should pass,” Sych said. “It’s hard to be against the environment.”
Support Proposal 1 (DNR funding):
135 respondents — 32 percent
Don’t support: 32 — 8 percent
Don’t know: 232 — 56 percent
Didn’t respond: 15 — 4 percent
Support Proposal 2 (MCRI):
117 respondents — 28 percent
Don’t support: 48 — 12 percent
Don’t know: 232 — 56 percent
Didn’t respond: 19 — 4 percent
Support Proposal 3 (Mourning dove hunting): 49 — 12 percent
Don’t support: 147 — 35 percent
Don’t know: 212 — 51 percent
Didn’t respond: 8 — 2 percent
Support Proposal 4 (Eminent domain): 36 — 9 percent
Don’t support: 58 — 14 percent
Don’t know: 316 — 76 percent
Didn’t respond: 3 — 1 percent
Support Proposal 5 (Education funding): 206 — 50 percent
Don’t support Prop. 5: 14 — 3 percent
Don’t know: 183 — 44 percent
Didn’t respond: 13 — 3 percent
