PROP 1 on election day.

[Dougles]

Can anyone explain what it is and whose behind it?

What does voting YES mean?

What does Voting NO mean?

[buffy]

From Channel 2...

"Shall there be approved in the County of Erie, Local Law Intro No.3 of 2008, entitled "A LOCAL LAW, entitled Tax Payer Protection Law, amending Article II, Section 202, known as, The Powers and Duties of the County Legislature and Section 2612 of Article XVIII known as, certain resolutions of County Legislature subject to executive veto"?

"Unfortunately you have legalese on the ballot," said Republican Erie County Elections Commissioner Ralph Mohr, in explaining why the wording of propositions such as these are so obtuse.

Mohr says the proposition basically is about extending the power of the Erie County Legislature.

"This is a remnant out of the (former County Executive) Giambra administration. What occurs is that the Executive, under the County Charter, has the authority to enter into personal services contracts worth up to $10,000 to hire individuals to advise the county on certain matters," Mohr said.

Mohr went on to explain that proponents of Proposition 1 see it as a way to prevent the County Executive from hiring friends and cronies to do consulting work without any checks or balances from the legislative branch.

In its simplest terms, voting "yes" on the measure would grant the legislature the power to rescind such contracts if it saw fit to do so.

To assist voters, Mohr says the Board of Elections is providing an abstract of the law which he says has a "plain english form of the language and what the law does" and which will be available to voters at all polling sites.

However, an inspection of the abstract by 2 On Your Side reveals it is several paragraphs longer than the ballot proposition itself and while more detailed perhaps just as confusing for the lay person.

"Well, sometimes it takes longer to explain what the proposition is than to read it," Mohr said.

Mohr admits many voters probably won't understand the proposition even if they read it and, as a result, will skip voting on it as is the case with most propositions.

However Mohr insists statewide propositions, of which there are two this year, are worded even more obtusely. That's why some want a State Constitutional Convention to try and simplify these things.

Of course, to hold a Constitutional Convention, it would have to first be approved ...through a statewide ballot proposition.
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As for me...I'm not willing to give the legislature any more power, but that's just me.

[mikenold]

Would voting yes also give the Legislature the power to override the Executive veto on other issues as well?

[ichingtheory]

Originally Posted by mikenold

Would voting yes also give the Legislature the power to override the Executive veto on other issues as well?

I will vote NO on this one...

[FoxxyKat]

I am voting NO also!

[sue1776]

The Buffalo News today called it the "Get the County Sued" law and strongly advocated that voters vote NO. For once, they got it right!

[dtwarren]

I am voting no on this, first it would be one thing to say only the ECL can approve contracts, it is quite another to say go negotiate them, execute them and then we may or may not say no after all that. I think it would be wasteful.

Second this is a control issue and the ECL can already exercise control through the budget process.

[4248]

Originally Posted by dtwarren

I am voting no on this, first it would be one thing to say only the ECL can approve contracts, it is quite another to say go negotiate them, execute them and then we may or may not say no after all that. I think it would be wasteful.

Second this is a control issue and the ECL can already exercise control through the budget process.

Well stated - I agree - Voted NO

[nickelcityhomes]

My precinct used paper ballots. While filling out the ballot an old-timer sat down next to me. A woman who appeared to be a relative was helping him out because of physical disabilities. He asked her, "what is prop one"? She replied, "just mark yes"?

Shoot me if I ever become that incompetent.

[4248]

Originally Posted by nickelcityhomes

My precinct used paper ballots. While filling out the ballot an old-timer sat down next to me. A woman who appeared to be a relative was helping him out because of physical disabilities. He asked her, "what is prop one"? She replied, "just mark yes"?

Shoot me if I ever become that incompetent.

The party guys have done that for years-

As far as your last sentence - its part of the Obama option under the new healthcare plan!

[nickelcityhomes]

its part of the Obama option under the new healthcare plan!

Ok, that was funny!

[mikenold]

Guess we live amongst a bunch of Idiots... It passed!

[PickOranges]

Originally Posted by mikenold

Guess we live amongst a bunch of Idiots... It passed!

It wasn't clear on the ballot.. They leg made it vague and wanted it that way. Did you notice there was plenty of room for a more concise explanation? The state's 2 ref were clear..

[Frank Broughton]

Originally Posted by nickelcityhomes

My precinct used paper ballots. While filling out the ballot an old-timer sat down next to me. A woman who appeared to be a relative was helping him out because of physical disabilities. He asked her, "what is prop one"? She replied, "just mark yes"?

Shoot me if I ever become that incompetent.

The great stain on our system - that is the norm! We would be shocked to know how many people vote like that.

[BuffaloTransplant]

I'd wager people missed many propositions ( they did in the booths as well, given they were way up) and/or had no clue what they meant.

The one about the power line in the North Country was easy
The Erie County one was extremely poorly written

IMHO, the one about the prisoners (prisoners working for non-profits) should not even have been there. What hapopens the first time you get anyone hurt by a prisoner? We just had the guy (Sex Offender) who got a job with a non-profit and abused a kid..... you think it won't happen under supervision?