CPR - MORE OVERWHELMING NUMBERS FROM 'MARRIAGE' VOTE

VOTERS WANT RIGHT TO VOTE ON MARRIAGE IN OVERWHELMING NUMBERS

Voters Want Right to Vote of Marriage by Overwhelming Average Margin of 61% - 38%

Manchester, NH - Today, more numbers continue to be reported from towns around the state who took up the question at their town meetings or on the ballot of whether or not their citizens should have the right to vote on the definition of marriage, and the results are clear: New Hampshire votes want the right to vote on the marriage issue.

Behind the numbers

Number of towns that took up the 'marriage' question as presented: 133 (60% of all NH towns).

Number of towns that passed the question: 59.

Number of towns that defeated the question: 33.

Number of towns that tabled the question: 32.

State-wide average of total votes cast: 61.3% - 38.1% in favor of passing the question.

Every SB2 town passed the question by an average of 63% - 37%.

Though 32 towns tabled the question (thereby not considering it), this was not indicative of voter sentiment one way or the other.  A perfect example of this was in Salem where the tabling motion was defeated by just 2 votes, but the question ended up passing by a 64% - 36% margin.

Eight towns are still yet to take up the question.

For full data of the towns that have taken up the question, please visit www.letnhvote.com or click on the link HERE. 

Cornerstone-Action is the legislative advocacy arm of Cornerstone Policy Research.

Cornerstone Policy Research is a non-partisan, non-profit research and education organization dedicated to the preservation of strong families, limited government and free markets.

CORNERSTONE COMMENTS ON MARRIAGE VOTE IN NH TOWNS

Says Results Show Legislature is Not Listening to the People

Manchester, NH - Today, the results from the initiative by LetNHVote.com, which sought to allow the towns in NH to each send a resolution to Concord on the marriage issue, are becoming clear and overwhelming: the people want the right to vote on the issue of defining marriage in New Hampshire.  Thus far, preliminary results show that of all the towns that voted on the issue yesterday, all but 5 towns (each with under 100 total votes), passed the resolution.  See HERE for the preliminary results.    

Commenting on the results was Cornerstone-Action's Executive Director, Kevin Smith: 

"The trend is very clear: New Hampshire voters want the opportunity to vote on marriage.  They sent a loud message to the legislature yesterday that they simply are not listening to the people.  Unfortunately, the legislature rather than waiting to see what the will of the people was, decided to vote down a constitutional amendment earlier this session.  But the people will get the last word when they go to the ballot box this November."

A constitution amendment to define marriage, CACR 28, was proposed, debated, and voted on earlier this session.  It was defeated in the House, 201-135. 

CORNERSTONE COMMENTS ON MAINE'S REJECTION OF GAY MARRIAGE

When will NH voters get their say?

Concord, NH - Yesterday, Maine citizens went to the polls to exercise the "citizens' veto" of gay marriage.  Earlier this year, the Maine state legislature and Governor approved gay marriage legislation.  Yesterday, Maine voters finally had their say in the matter, and resoundingly voted against gay marriage, 53% - 47%, thus preventing the legislation from taking effect. 

Reacting to this development, Cornerstone-Action Director, Kevin Smith, said the following:

"Yesterday's vote proves that once again, when the gay marriage issue is put to the people, the people reject it.  Thirty-one states, including Maine, have now put this question to the people and in all 31 states the people have said 'no' to gay marriage.  Even though the people of Maine decided overwhelmingly yesterday to vote against decreasing taxes and voted for medicinal marijuana, they still said "no" to having gay marriage in their state."

Smith continued, "This vote just goes to show how radical and out-of-touch the New Hampshire legislature and Governor Lynch are with the voters in New Hampshire, who if given the chance, would also vote to reject gay marriage.  It is time to 'let the people vote' by approving the constitutional amendment on this issue that will be introduced in the legislature next year."

National Ballot Initiative Newsletter

We added about 1300 people to this monthly newsletter over the last year. That growth is all happening due to word of mouth and blogs and so forth. Keep up the good work. Tell your friends about NI4D and encourage them to visit our site. The momentum is building.

As you may be aware, The National Initiative for Democracy would add initiative to all levels of government in the United States. Initiative is important because it balances the power between you and your elected representatives, it completes suffrage in the sense that it allows you to vote not just for people, but also directly on issues, and finally, it ensures your freedom.

Marcus Cicero, over 2000 years ago, defined freedom as participation in power.

Power is lawmaking; if you don't participate in lawmaking, all you can do is live by the laws that are made for you. Either you live by their laws or you go to jail. Those who make the law have the power to constrain your freedom.

Follow the logic: If freedom is participation in power and power is lawmaking, then freedom is participation in lawmaking.

The key to freedom is the National Initiative; it gives the people the tools they need to make laws, to have direct oversight over the issues that affect their lives. Now THAT is freedom. The crux of the National Initiative is to share power and enjoy freedom.

I am pleased to report that we are finally providing some financial transparency. Last month we received a total of $60 in donations. This month's donations are updated hourly at http://demofound.us/donate.htm. It has long been our desire to provide more financial transparency, but until recently, nobody stepped forward to actually get the information published in real-time. That is our predicament as an organization with an all volunteer staff. If nobody volunteers then it doesn't get done.

Against a backdrop of about 230 articles over the last month blaming California's legislative initiative for the budget debacle (i.e. "ballot box budgeting"), the New York Times published an fascinating suggestion on July 28. In brief, California's initiative procedure has flaws, but getting rid of initiative is not the only solution! Elmendorf and Leib suggested that the majority party, minority party, and the governor submit a budget to a citizen jury consisting of randomly selected voters. After deliberating on the budget proposals for a week, the citizen jury would decide which budget to accept. Whether you agree with Elmendorf and Leib or not, it is refreshing to see news coverage of the California budget crisis that does not blindly recommend getting rid of legislative initiative! Visit NI4D Planet for more fascinating articles related to the quest to ex pand initiative.

If you have some free time, please get involved. Take a look at our current projects. There is plenty of work to go around. NI4D is a monumental project that deserves your monumental contribution.

Manchester Mayor Guinta releases Order of Notice regarding spending cap

Mayor Guinta releases Order of Notice regarding spending cap;

reaffirms opposition to action that denies public vote

MANCHESTER (July 9, 2009) – Mayor Frank Guinta released to the public the Order of Notice that was filed by the Hillsborough (North) Superior Court regarding the spending cap. This Order was sent by the City Solicitor despite no vote being taken by the Board of Aldermen to authorize him to move forward, no prior public input, and a decision that was made behind closed doors. Following this, the Board of Aldermen voted, 7-5, to reject a request to withdraw a court case that could potentially throw the spending cap off the 2009 municipal ballot. The initial hearing on this issue will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Tuesday, July 14, 2009, at Hillsborough County (North) Superior Court.

“It is important that the public understand that painstaking actions that concerned citizens took in getting more than 4,000 signatures on petitions so that the spending cap could appear on the ballot,” Guinta said.“In addition, three top-ranking state officials – Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, Secretary of State William Gardner, and Department of Revenue Administration Commissioner G. Philip Blastos – deemed the referendum language legal. However, instead of fulfilling their promise to hold public hearings and information sessions on the spending cap, some aldermen have worked with special interests to get this thrown off the ballot.”

“I can assure the public that, despite this action by the Board of Aldermen, I still support the rights of voters to decide on this important issue – regardless of whether they support or oppose a spending cap,” Guinta said. “I also want to thank Aldermen Gatsas, Sullivan, Osborne, Pinard and Garrity, and former Aldermen Murphy, who have stood up for the voters throughout this process.”

Note: The Order of Notice is available on the City Web site at: http://www.manchesternh.gov/.