Thursday, October 7, 2010

Letters vs Numbers on the Ballot

At a neighborhood meeting recently at New York Deli in southeast Denver on East Hampden where District 9 Democrats meet every 3rd Saturday of the month, a citizen asked me what is the difference between the number proposals and the alphabetic proposals on the ballot?

Referenda proposed by the Colorado legislature are designated by an alphabetic lineup, a letter.

Initiatives proposed by citizens who have gathered signatures are given numbers.

One wag announced a simple way to figure out the ballot this year: "Vote 'yes' on the letters and 'no' on the numbers." I, however, hope you will study the issues, letters and numbers, and then make up your mind based upon logic and reflection. Remember democracy is a participatory and serious game.

At the end of the meeting I told the owner of the New York Deli that he really needs to work on his waitresses. "They are too nice to the customers, not like New York at all." He responded tongue in cheek: "You can leave anytime, schmuck, I need your seat." And we really need a little humor to get through this election cycle, don't we?

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