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[Mike Ingels]

Yeah.  I suppose I could have gotten a ballot.  But I really like holding my ten-month-old son when I walk in to vote.  I want him to feel the excitement so that he will know how important this is.  I always get excited when I go to vote.  Absentee is just not quite the same.

[Baby Hitler]

Well I guess I could get mine this week and say that I plan on being out of town that day, if that is one of the reasons available.

I don't know what the reasons are, and that's the only one that I know of that would be truthful.

But then with all the problems that I have heard in the past with absentee votes not being counted, lost, etc., I'm not sure if I want to take that chance with my vote.

[Pax]

I'm sure that liberal rag of propaganda known as The Free Press finds lots of faults with Michigan's current constitution.  As a signatory to none of the written versions of it, however, I can wholeheartedly state I might agree most with the 1st version of it and none of it's descendents.  If one wishes to to governed by your average KnowNothingDoingDemocracy by all means call for a Con-Con, but I won't be attending, or abiding by it's pronouncements. . .  Good luck with that though.

[SidecarFlip]

Well I guess I could get mine this week and say that I plan on being out of town that day, if that is one of the reasons available.

I don't know what the reasons are, and that's the only one that I know of that would be truthful.

But then with all the problems that I have heard in the past with absentee votes not being counted, lost, etc., I'm not sure if I want to take that chance with my vote.

Myself, I'm never positive where I'll physically be on election day (you all know where I am mentally..... ).  Absentee might pose some counting problems in an urban enviroment but out here in sticksville, I just drop the ballot at the Township Hall in the mail slot and I'm quite sure it gets counted.

I consider voting to be a duty much like paying respect to the Stars and Stripes.

[SidecarFlip]

Yeah.  I suppose I could have gotten a ballot.  But I really like holding my ten-month-old son when I walk in to vote.  I want him to feel the excitement so that he will know how important this is.  I always get excited when I go to vote.  Absentee is just not quite the same.

That is a very fair statement and I too, like to vote in person.  Allows one, prior to vote time, to chat with neighbors, peruse the wanted posters in the Township Hall and generally malke a busy bidy of yourself.

[SMASH]

Boy I bet that preamble would get a total working over!

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We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom, and earnestly desiring to secure these blessings undiminished to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution.

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(onno0yuvmxc20meadmtkos45))/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=mcl-chap1

_______________________________________________________________

That type of hate speech has got to GO!!!

This type on non-inclusive, untolerant, biased view point could offend the followers of Aqua Budda, and has no place in a New Pure Michigan! (Once Rick and the boys fix it?)

This kind of old thinking and language could lead to lawsuits and the deprivation of the State of Michigan untold amounts of Federal Money! (What ever that is?)

All of Article 1 needs a complete overhaul! None of it applies anyhow, since we are ruled from Washington anyways.

[Mike Ingels]

Proposed change #1:

secure these blessings undiminished to ourselves and our posterior

[SMASH]

Proposed change #1:

secure these blessings undiminished to ourselves and our posterior

Now that's a good one!

[Rick Rountree]

This whole concept is idiocy in the extreme.  The Michigan constitution can be fixed, revised modified, or whatever words you want to use, by a ballot proposition.  Why do we need to throw the baby out with the bathwater and start over?   The concept of a constitutional convention is merely a pretext to change substantial parts of our state govt, with little or no visibility.  Gimme a break.    It's no friggin wonder that we are confused about the direction our state is headed.

Well said!  This is exactly why I will never vote for a constitutional convention.  Why throw out the whole thing without any guarantees the parts that work will even make it back into the new constitution?  We have a means to change the bad parts and keep the good parts already.  Vote NO on the Con-Con....it's dangerous, expensive, counterproductive, and completely unnecessary!

[The Fuzz]

I would whole heartidly agree if I saw that there was a current effort to change the bad parts, Rick.  I have had several face to face discussions with Randy and Kate and all I hear those two claim is that their hands are tied in helping the district more by the way the constitution is currently structured.  When asked why they don't try to initiate the changes, I get blank stares.

Maybe it is best that it not be passed, but for God's sakes if there are bad parts in it then get off their elected duffs and do it.

[Rick Rountree]

Maybe it is best that it not be passed, but for God's sakes if there are bad parts in it then get off their elected duffs and do it.

I'll have to admit I've never read the current Michigan Constitution so I'm not sure from what entities a proposal for an amendment to the state Constitution would come from.  Does it have to start in the state Senate or House?  Can citizens petition the state to put an amendment on the ballot?  I'm not even sure which parts of the current constitution would be construed as the 'bad' parts that need amending.  One thing I am very sure of though is that a con-con is a very bad idea for all the reasons I listed in my previous post.   Perhaps we should start with the requirement in the current state constitution to put a con-con on the ballot every 16 (I think) years.  If we have another means to amend, that requirement should be the first to go.

[The Fuzz]

I'll have to admit I've never read the current Michigan Constitution so I'm not sure from what entities a proposal for an amendment to the state Constitution would come from.  Does it have to start in the state Senate or House?  Can citizens petition the state to put an amendment on the ballot?  I'm not even sure which parts of the current constitution would be construed as the 'bad' parts that need amending. 

I don't know either, Rick.  I just hear it used time and time again by Richardsville and Ebli as their shield to hide behind that prevents them for doing better things for the district. 

I think, but not certain, that an amendment to the constitution has to be initiated off of the House or Senate floor.

[sawdust]

Read the posts here, and you can see right away why there is support for a con-con.   A lot of folks would like to see radical and far reaching changes to state laws and governance.   But rather than actually propose a Constitutional Amendment (where, God forbid, it might actually be subject to public scrutiny), they prefer a behind closed doors convention to start over.   For what it is worth, virtually EVERY other state has lived with the same constitution since their founding, amending them as needed to keep up with the times.   What makes us so bad at governance, that we have to throw everything out and start over?   I can see most of the other states laughing at our silliness. 

Here's what is required in Michigan...http://www.house.mi.gov/citizens_guide.asp

The people can force the enactment of laws, or reject some laws passed by the Legislature, through the process of petition, submitted to the electorate at the next general election or special election as set forth by the Legislature:

(1) The INITIATIVE petition, requiring 247,127* signatures of registered voters, is used to propose laws and to enact or reject laws.

(2) The REFERENDUM petition, requiring 151,356* signatures of registered voters, is used to approve or reject laws enacted by the Legislature.

(3) The CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT, requiring 302,700* signatures of registered voters, is used to amend the Michigan Constitution.

*In each case, a percentage of the total vote cast for all candidates for Governor at the last preceding general election at which a Governor was elected: (1) 8%, (2) 5%, and (3) 10%.