The people aren't really the ones making the decision.
Here in Ohio, for example, we didn't have a vote on recreational, instead we had a vote on a government sanctioned monopoly possibly leading the way to recreational.
If there was some sort of state issue that could be voted on which was "regulate it like we do garden tomatoes", it would pass.
Leadership has prevented this, not your cartoon idea of the oh so ignorant voter base.
Too often we blame the salt of the earth people for things the media has done. Rule by multi millionaire propagandists.
Meaning that if you were right about the voting base, it would be easy to legalize recreational marijuana without worrying what the leadership thought.
> In the indirect form, initiative sponsors collect signatures and once the signatures are collected, the measure is taken up by the state legislature in their state. The legislature has these options:
> Enact the measure as written in the petition.
> Refuse to act on the measure, in which case it goes on the ballot.
The salt of the earth doesn't give a shit about the local government; they just want to be left alone for the most part.
The issue is getting the signatures in the first place, which requires canvassing, which requires paying someone to organize all of that. The last example of a successful canvassing that we had was a grab at a monopoly over growing ops, which was funded partly by a former member of the boy band NSYNC.
The other hurdle is approval by the legislature. In Ohio it's not as simple as "get signatures, get on the ballot".
> The other hurdle is approval by the legislature. In Ohio it's not as simple as "get signatures, get on the ballot".
I'm open to more specialized information, but the description on ballotpedia strongly implies that it is that simple. Specifically, it says that the steps are:
1. Get signatures.
2. The legislature must consider the initiative, either approving or rejecting it.
3a. If the legislature approves the initiative, it becomes law without having to go on the ballot.
3b. If the legislature rejects the initiative, it goes on the ballot.
Thus, once you have signatures, the worst case is that you go straight onto the ballot, and the best case is that you become law without needing to. Theoretically, it could be possible for the legislature to sit on the initiative without ever approving or rejecting it. All I'm working off here is a cursory description of the law of several states including Ohio. Do you have relevant knowledge of Ohio law?
Politicians are more often mirrors of society than agents of change. Demand change from them, they aren't reading Hacker News. If they refuse change, campaign against them.
And then suddenly when the death threats and FBI audits and etc start showing up in your life, and you lose the campaign anyway, you'll say to yourself, "shit, this isn't a democracy we're living in, this is just a mafia state."
Would you prefer cabal? It was a certain group of a limited number of people who could grow, with nothing in the lines of allowing private growers to create startups.
I’ve been there. Transition to your car, but find someone or some place to stay before worrying too much. You’re off the grid, so look and plan where to start again. In the future, always plan for this. But for now your life will be reset. Just go with the best you can.
Once you can think, stop and do so. Acknowledge you are a SJW and as a result, lost a standoff with your previous employer when you brought it up. That company isn’t going to risk the livelihood of its employees, even if you might and did.
What did I do? Living in my car there’s few options, so I took a job canvassing for causes I believed in. It paid nothing, but I got out there doing my SJW stuff and felt better.
When I got off the streets, stayed with relatives, found a tech job and moved out, I learned somethings.
I never have enough info. Social justice causes are fine, but if you don’t have all the info, you’ll lose. Support agendas only with all info.
Second, make commitments and stick to them. I agreed to work for an employer, so to accuse them of bad data practices is not the right move. If the company bothers you, leave, stop trying to ‘change the world’.
Finally, be prepared. Jobs can be lost at any time. Apartments are not yours, be prepared to move at any time. And stop spending. Buy what you need. Adults do not need workstation computers, they need laptops. Not toys, Legos, Funkopop dolls, etc. Those are for kids.
Yes, after 15 years most have saved or diversified. Improve your handling of money.
Some turn spiritual at this point and pray your body stays healthy. It’s a strange journey called life!
I was taking Tramadol for years for chronic pain. It worked great and allowed me to function. Then a couple years ago, some scientist said it was ‘opioid-like’, and now it’s impossible to get from doctors. The state where I live is clamping down on opioids and tramadol is now tied in with actual opioids.
Ibuprofen + Tylenol every 4 hours works OK, but the nausea and withdrawal from Tramadol led me to try cannabis. It works great for keeping me off opiods, since it fills that ‘any narcotic’-need people feel even years later.
It’s better, safer than heroin, which many turn to when their cruel doctors cut them off. The only thing that worries me now is a hospital stay. Can you imagine surgery without painkillers? Ouch, that’s only for the rich!
