Why I'm voting against Austin's Proposition J

For Austin voters, the following question will appear on the ballot in November, as Proposition J, in response to a citizen petition:

Shall a City ordinance be adopted to require both a waiting period and subsequent voter approval period, a total of up to three years, before future comprehensive revisions of the City's land development code become effective?

At first glance, this may appear to be an innocuous, pro-democracy proposition. After all, a direct vote by the people is surely the purest form of democracy and a good way to hold our elected City Councilors accountable. It is true that we live in a representative democracy, and not all decisions can be voted on directly by the people, but surely a change as fundamental as revising the city's land development code should be put to a popular vote before going into effect. However, it is worth keeping in mind that not all legislative decisions--even large decisions--are directly voted on by the public, nor would many people consider such votes to be desirable in all cases, and elected officials are already held accountable at the ballot box. If politicians make unpopular decisions, then they will face tough questions if they run for reelection or run for other positions in the future. Additionally, referenda favor demographic groups that are more likely to turn out to vote in large numbers, potentially disenfranchising groups that are less likely to turn out. Finally, since some changes require a popular vote and some changes do not, it is worth considering whether requiring a referendum is likely to tip the scales against the kinds of changes that we would want to see.

( Read more... )