A JOINT LETTER FROM THE NEW
YORK STATE PRIDE AT WORK CHAPTERS
National Coming Out Day,
2017
On November 7, 2017, a simple question will be
asked of the citizens of New York State: “Shall there be a convention to revise
the constitution and amend same?”
The answer we, as LGBTQ people and our allies,
give to this 12-word question will have a huge impact on every person living in
the Empire State and generations of citizens to come.
Those in favor cite the need for ethics reform
and limits on gerrymandering while those against question the wisdom of opening
the constitution up to alteration by the same corrupt big money players that
currently hold the public good hostage in Albany. Well-financed
pro-convention groups are trying to dominate the discussion and mislead voters
with false advertising claims that this will be a “people’s convention”.
There is currently a process in place to change
the NYS Constitution that has been used over 200 times since 1984. The state
legislature creates referendum questions for the ballot during general
elections and citizens decide. A number of ballot questions were voted on
in 2013 including the constitutional change needed to allow casino gambling in
our State. When a process to change the constitution currently exists why risk
giving entrenched politicians and big money influencers access to alter
constitutional protections for workers, the environment, women, minorities, and
schools?
The Adirondacks Mountains are protected by a
‘forever wild’ clause in the constitution. Lobbyists say that those protections
are ‘unlikely’ to be altered. Frankly, ‘unlikely’ is not good enough when we
see federal parklands being sold off, mined and privatized. The
constitution also protects public education and the right for working people to
organize and collectively bargain.
Women & LGBTQ people should be concerned
about the introduction of “Religious Freedom” clauses and the use of tax funds
for religious schools. Gun control, women’s reproductive rights, and protective
tax limits for the wealthiest would be on the table.
Would you, as a taxpayer, vote to allow the
state’s debt limit to be increased? If you vote for a constitutional
convention, you could be doing just that.
A constitutional convention is ripe for abuse.
It’s a financial boondoggle enabling system-savvy politicians to make up to an
extra $80,000 annually on top of the salaries they already receive, as well as
being able to “double-dip” on their pension. There is no timeline to
complete delegate work or limitations on who they can pay to “assist” them.
Taxpayers will get stuck with the tab. The money spent on a
Constitutional Convention would be better spent investing in our schools, our
crumbling infrastructure, and vital public services.
Survey data has shown that when voters are
presented with the facts regarding a constitutional convention, they
overwhelmingly oppose it. We hope you will too, Vote NO on November 7th.
Rochester/Finger Lakes Pride at Work
New York City/Long Island Pride at Work
Eastern New York Pride at Work
Joint Statement in PDF Format
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