Why did Measure 10 fail?

by

Though I voted YES on 10 I knew this measure was doomed from the beginning. It was too long and only should have included the following;

–          Eliminate State NO-BID contracts (which is actually Federal Contract standards)

–          Create a state contractor website

–          Don’t use taxpayer money for lobbying

I think this would have simplified the Measure. Though I do agree we need to punish people who give campaign contributions and expect no-bid contracts in return, I think that it could have been excluded from the IM10.

I think there is only a couple of major reasons the IM10 fell on it’s face;

–          The vote NO people ran a very deceptive ad campaign ironically funded by lobbyists, politicians and our tax dollars (funneled through the municipal league). The very people that IM10 was trying to eliminate was fighting it tooth and nail. It was no surprise they never actually encouraged people to READ the measure, because people would have seen right through the bullshit.

 

–          The other major reason was the Vote Yes side was made up of extremist conservatives like SDCAC, Sibby and Bob Ellis that constantly hammered home that Unions and Liberals are evil, which I found ironic since some of my most liberal pro-union friends voted Yes on IM10. In other words they should have built a consensus instead just assuming that they could carry a majority with just the neo-con vote. The VYFL people found out how well that worked out. I think liberals, moderates and conservatives alike saw something in IM10 they liked. Trying to label the Vote NO people as a bunch of ‘liberals’ couldn’t be farther from the truth. The vote No side consisted of professional politicians (from both sides) and lobbyists.

 

–          And one more thing, the TV adversting on the Vote Yes side was awful. Who was the old lady from Spearfish telling me to Vote Yes? They must have used the same producer/director that Sandy Jerstad used in her porno shop / medi-cade ads.

 

In the future if this Measure ever resurfaces I think they need to use the KISS theory when writing it, Keep it Simple Stupid.

Posted in: Election 2008, Measure 10

4 Thoughts on “Why did Measure 10 fail?”

  1. John on November 10, 2008 at 1:23 pm said:

    You posted a “Measure 10” that would pass. Don’t you think there is an 11 that would pass?

    Maybe the next 11 will put the women in jail for having an abortion. Might get those hard core people to vote for it.

  2. l3wis on November 10, 2008 at 1:56 pm said:

    No, I don’t think there would ever be an abortion ban that would pass, not after the past to results. I think people are all for RESTRICTING abortion in our state by having strict guidelines, like waiting periods, etc. But they also realize that sometimes women HAVE TO get and abortion, and it shouldn’t be any of government’s business.

  3. PP at the SDWC on November 10, 2008 at 2:47 pm said:

    Lewis –

    Maybe it bombed because it actually was a gag law, and it abrogated the free speech rights (the US supreme ct recognizes political donations as a form of free speech) of tens of thousands of south dakotans. Not to mention that it limited the ability of groups to lobby as a collective.

    I’m just sayin..

  4. l3wis on November 10, 2008 at 2:50 pm said:

    I guess you didn’t read the measure either. No where in the measure would it made it illegal to give campaign contributions.

Post Navigation