The Mississippi legislature doesn’t think too highly of direct democracy. Legislative proposals for a new initiative/referendum law greatly limit “people power” compared to what we had before.
You may recall that our last initiative/referendum law was ruled illegal by the state supreme court after Mississippians voted in a very loosey-goosey medical marijuana law. That law contained language requiring signatures to be collected from all five Congressional districts. Problem was, the declining state population caused Mississippi to drop to four districts.
The state legislature had plenty of chances to amend the old initiative/referendum law but they declined, giving the state supreme court grounds for nullifying any initiative/referendum it found lacking, as they did the marijuana law.
The new legislative proposals greatly increase the number of signatures required, creating an almost impossible standard. In addition, the legislature retains control of the process from start to finish, including a veto power at the end. These proposals are really for lip service only. They would give no real power to the people.
There is one good aspect to the new legislative proposals: The public initiatives would be codified in the state statutes and not the state constitution. The state constitution is supposed to deal with broad concepts of governing philosophy and structures. It shouldn’t be bogged down in the minutiae of individual laws.
The pros and cons of a direct democracy versus a republic have long been debated. It’s clear that our current state leaders want democracy to be limited to electing state representatives and state senators, who will then consider, debate and pass laws.
In general, a republic serves the people better, preventing bad laws passed in a moment of public attention on a hot-button issue. The masses can be impulsive and fickle.
But then so can our elected leaders. A check and balance is in order. Indeed, checks and balances are the foundations of our United States government. Our nation’s founders were obsessed with not giving one aspect of our government too much control. This guiding principle has served us well, creating the greatest country in the history of mankind.
So it should be with initiative and referendum. The signature requirement should be no higher than previously. The legislature should have no control over the process. However, after four years, the state legislature should have the ability to amend or roll back the initiative/referendum.
This type of initiative/referendum has worked well in many other states.
Mayor Chokwe Lumumba’s stubbornness and/or incompetence is truly extraordinary and continues to cause harm to its citizens.
Having lost a unanimous state supreme court decision, Lumumba still refuses to cede any power to the city council which is 4-3 against the mayor’s firing of Waste Management and installation of Richard’s Disposal for garbage collection.
As I have written from day one, the main problem with this whole mess has been a failure to follow standard bidding protocols. Bid specifications should be issued and the job should go to the lowest bidder.
But that’s not the way it was done: Instead, Mayor Lumumba used his own ranking formula and declared Richard’s Disposal the winner. The city council disagreed.
One red flag: Lumumba refuses to disclose who Richard’s is using as subcontractors. Perhaps some of the mayor’s cronies? That would explain the mayor’s stubbornness.
The Northside Sun has a poll on its website: “Who does a better job, Waste Management or Richard's Disposal?” So far, Richard’s Disposal is losing 122 to 21. Personally, I see a slight deterioration in service with Richard’s. Their schedule can be erratic and they won’t pick up things that Waste Management would.
You would think the mayor could read the writing on the wall and give up the ghost. But he won’t. It’s leading to a showdown.
The mayor has the administrative power but the city council pays the bills. If the council refuses to pay Richard’s, the company will sooner or later stop picking up trash. If the mayor has no backup plan, which apparently he does not, then the trash will pile up in the streets. Just like the water, Jackson will experience one of the worst man-made disasters in modern urban history.
It only took me 50 years of golf to finally get my first hole-in-one on the fourth hole at Lake Caroline. It was a 145-yard shot and the hole was slightly hidden. I saw the ball bounce up but then it disappeared.
As we approached the green the ball mark was clearly visible about 18 inches from the hole. At that point, I knew it was in the hole and it was. Apparently it bounced once and went straight into the hole. After that, there was much whooping and hollering, including fellow golfers from nearby holes. A moment of glory!
Statistically speaking, only 20 percent of serious golfers ever make a hole-in-one. That’ll probably be my first and last.
What made it even more special was the spiritual element. On the second hole, a fellow golfer, who was facing some serious life issues, hugged me and thanked me. “You told me to quit doing it myself and pray,” he told me. “I did and it worked.”
On hole three, that same golfer and I were off the green about five feet. He was slightly farther away, and I was gleefully looking forward to him going first, which would give me valuable insight about the break of the green. The rule in golf is that the golfer farthest from the hole goes first.
At the last minute, a thought came over me, “I should love my brother as myself.” So instead, I went first, giving him the benefit instead of me. Surprised, he thanked me for my kindness. We both sank the 30 footer.
As we were walking from the third green to the number four tee box, I started waxing eloquent about doing things God’s way instead of the selfish human way. I rarely preach while golfing, but his heartfelt hug on number two got my spiritual juices flowing.
My sermon was continuing as I teed up my ball on the fourth tee box. “You can’t do it, but God can do it for you, if it is in his will.” Then I hit what felt and looked like a perfect shot, my hole in one.
This was not my first spiritual revelation on the golf course. Thirty years ago, I was playing in the hot summer sun, my ball in the woods, losing a money bet, when I got down on my knees and prayed in front of my golf buddies, Bob Crisler and Kemal Sanli.
I had wanted to play in the cool morning hours, but my church-going friends refused, choosing church instead.
“Dear Lord,” I prayed. “I know I haven’t been a good Christian and I don’t deserve your help, but I’m getting my butt kicked and if you would help me out that would be a great way for you to show me you are real and care about me.”
I then won the final three holes by one stroke each, chipping in from 20 yards, 30 yards and then 90 yards, a blind shot over a sand trap. When I hit that last shot, the curtain of reality started to fray as I swung, which felt like slow motion. It seemed like, for the briefest of moments, I could see beyond the veil.
I’ve never heard of any golfer ever chipping in three holes in a row, much less an average handicapper like me. The odds of me doing that after getting down on my knees and praying are one in a number the name of which I do not know.
As I approached the 18th green, Bob and Kemal (who will be happy to verify this story) stood utterly still and speechless as I calmly walked over and removed my ball from the hole. My faith was sealed.
It was only years later, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, when pastor Josh Cole tied the story up with a bow in his sermon on Luke 11:8: Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
