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Vote STFU on Prop. One

In Massachusetts, the most advertised issue of this election year is Prop. One. Two sides of committed, informed, passionate citizens are battling over the primal question of our time-should grocery stores be allowed to sell wine.

If only I were kidding. That IS the first ballot initiative question we'll get next month. Just in case democracy made any of us feel good anymore, here's a quick reminder the republic has already suffered a fatal fall in its bsthtub.

The "yes" ads feature smiling middle aged white folks stuffing bottles of Chateau Latour in their shopping carts right next to the Tuna Helper. The "no" ads show the grainy black and white footage common to negative political commercials and imply 15-year olds will be hanging around the produce section in order to swoop up wine to facilitate their plan to kill themselves and others in drunk driving wrecks.

This raises the question when was the last time anyone ever saw a pack of unescorted teenagers in a supermarket, but I digress. The main point is that the front door of my local supermarket has a sticker urging "vote yes on one" while the local packy has one urging me to vote no.

Come to think of it, the REAL main point is that these two stores are all of 50 feet apart. One would be hard-pressed to find a single Mass. supermarket that's more than 300 yards away from a liquor store. Since booze sales are regulated and controlled at the distribution level, the only possible issue for a voter, convienence, is already moot. Prop. One is classic special interest legislation, of vital economic interest to the parties involved with no impact whatsoever on the rest of us.

Questions like Prop. One are why representative democracy was invented in the first place. At the local, state, and federal level, we elect and pay people for the job of deciding shit like this. To be blunt, this is the kind of issue that's sending Jack Abramoff to prison, and sends many legislators on junkets to St. Andrews.

And that, by God, is a small price to pay for the luxury of not having to think about it myself. I don't care about Prop. One. I never will. Booting the question back to yours truly is the system saying, "you know what Mike? We're a complete failure. You take the wheel."

I will vote no on One because I vote no on all ballot initiatives. It's the only sane choice. My brother Dave, a conservative Republican business exec, and Markos Moulitsas, the celcbrated Kos, main man of the lefty blogosphere, do the same thing. It may be the last sensible bipartisan stance in American politics.

If ballot initiatives are to continue, my suggestion is skip the ads and go straight to bribes, as special interests would with the legislature. If I got a fiver back every time I went to Stop and Shop or to buy a six-pack over the next two weeks, I'd be more interested in Prop One.

For a trip to St. Andrews, you DEFINITELY have my vote.

posted by Michael Gee @ 7:37 AM