Talk Story
Political ‘Silly Season’
yields crazy outcomesNEW MEXICO Constitutional Amendment 2 lost Tuesday by 56 to 44 percent. Therefore, it's still illegal for "idiots and insane persons" to vote in the "Land of Enchantment."
Talk about a no-brainer.
Lucky we live Hawaii, where idiots and insane persons not only can vote, but often run for office, sometimes successfully.
New Mexico's constitution withholds the vote from "idiots," "insane persons" and felons. Amendment proponents argued it would "remove wording that is archaic, offensive and meaningless ... The terms 'idiot' and 'insane persons' may not have been considered offensive in 1912, but today they are an embarrassment."
Moreover, idiots and insane people may "be quite capable of choosing who they want to represent them," and the old wording "permits an election judge to deny a person his right to vote on a purely subjective basis."
Presumably, if the stupid and crazy could vote, Tuesday's results might have been different.
I'M FEELING slightly delusional myself, after staying up to watch Tuesday's election results to the bittersweet end.
Imagine returning to Hawaii after a decade in Afghanistan or New Jersey to find a Jewish Republican woman is governor! It's a new day in the People's Republic.
Although Republicans lost four House seats -- along with the procedural power to pull bills bottled up in committee -- their presence grew from three to five in the 25-member Senate. Since governor-elect Linda Lingle also will fill and control more than 50 top state jobs, the Hawaii GOP is celebrating its biggest victory in 40 years.
Local losers include the public employee and public school teacher unions. Their sweet-on-labor "M&M Team" (Mazie Hirono and Matt Matsunaga) came up 17,362 votes short, and all three constitutional amendments passed easily despite their fervent opposition.
Last year's teacher strike, the West Coast ILWU dock lockout and even the threat of a big-league baseball walkout all pushed the pendulum of popular support away from labor. Voters rejected the Hawaii State Teachers Association's vigorous, if self-serving, campaign against bonds to help private schools.
NATIONALLY, Republican majorities in both houses should bust open the divided Congress' partisan logjam. As one lobbyist quoted in the Wall Street Journal said, "Congress is so fragmented. On a good day, it's tough to get an award for Mother Teresa through."
No longer. We're told to expect the Bush tax cuts to become permanent and passage of a drug-company-friendly prescription drug bill for the elderly and an energy bill that includes oil drilling in the Alaskan Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
More interesting is a possible revamp of the U.S. tax code. The Bush Treasury Department is developing a range of options.
These include a national sales tax to totally replace the income tax or slashing income tax rates while eliminating deductions, credits and loopholes.
A middle course is a value-added tax that would exempt 100 million lower-income taxpayers from income tax entirely. Couples making more than $100,000 and singles more than $50,000 would still pay income tax, but at lower rates.
Given recent stock market history, privatizing Social Security is unlikely. Instead, expect proposals to cut taxes on corporate dividends and loosen up limits on IRAs and 401(k)s.
BUT if you enjoy election oddities, it's back to New Mexico, where a state holiday honoring migrant worker hero Caesar Chavez was defeated by 61 to 39 percent.
"Caesar Chavez is not even a New Mexican," reasoned Republican Rep. Ted Hobbs.
U.S. Supreme Court rulings to the contrary, New Mexico voters also refused, 53 to 47 percent, to end a constitutional prohibition against Asian immigrants owning property.
However, an amendment changing the name of the state Highway Commission to the state Transportation Commission passed 52 percent to 48 percent.
I now declare the "Silly Season" officially over.
John Flanagan is the Star-Bulletin's contributing editor.
He can be reached at: jflanagan@starbulletin.com.