Jerry Patterson, Texas Land Commissioner,
said, "The lst amendment to the U.S. Constitution enumerates
the right of the people 'to petition the governments for redress of
grievances.' . . .The legislature should pass I, and enact this right
guaranteed by both the U.S. and the Texas constitutions."
* * * * * John Talley of Longview, Texas,
said, "There are those occasions under our form of
government when the interests of the represented and the interests of
the representatives are at odds. I are the means by which the
represented assure that their interests ultimately prevail."
* * * * * Ralph Nader
said, "Initiative and Referendum is the citizen activist's
'ace in the hole'."
* * * * * Mortimer B. Zuckerman, Editor of
U.S. News & World Report. said, "The
beauty of the California initiative is that it leapfrogs over all the
special interests and political calculations and gives choice to the
people. That is democracy in any language."
* * * * * Woodrow Wilson.
said, "We are cleaning house and in order to clean house the
one thing we need is a good broom. Initiative and referendum are good brooms."
A STATEWIDE I (INITIATIVE &
REFERENDUM) PETITION
(Directed to Your House and
Senatorial Legislators)
The Rational: Texas
voters desperately need and constitutionally require a tool to
reverse the accumulation of governmental power, which continues to
grow naturally and relentlessly; to neutralize the power of special
interests; to increase public understanding of the issues; to
stimulate public involvement in the political processes, including
issues of reform, which would in turn improve voter turnout, and to
make government more responsive to the voters interests, needs
and opinions. The
right of Initiative, the right of citizens to propose state laws or
constitutional amendments through a petition effort for placement on
the general election ballot in November (November of even numbered
years) for approval (or rejection) by Texas voters, IS such a tool.
Through the Referendum right, voters can repeal legislation
passed by the legislature.
* * * * *
THEREFORE, this petition calls
for voter access to binding statewide Initiatives and Referendums on
constitutional amendments and state statutes, and FURTHER, APPRISES
the Texas Legislature in the 2009 session of the urgent need to
schedule an election on a constitutional amendment that would
prescribe these I rights for the Texas voter.
(To review The Texas Citizens Model
Initiative & Referendum Amendment Click Here.)