COMMON SENSE AT THE POLLS

A lot of liberal illusions were put to a direct popular vote in state
initiatives yesterday, and most went up in smoke. On drug policy, taxes,
health care or election reform, voters tended to favor common sense and
fiscal restraint.

Those who would weaken laws against illegal drugs saw their previous ballot
success end abruptly. In Ohio, voters rejected a measure to require
treatment instead of incarceration for drug offenders. Anything-goes Nevada
voted against marijuana legalization, and South Dakota rejected pot for
industrial purposes. Libertarian Arizona rejected marijuana for medical
use, which in practice has become a loophole for legalization.

A wave of good sense hit even San Francisco, where voters easily passed a
"care not cash" initiative that will slash welfare checks to the homeless
and shift the money to programs to rehabilitate them. The city's voters
also joined the real world in rejecting moves to create a government
electricity authority and raise property taxes. To the north, Oregon voters
rejected by four-to-one an effort to force socialized medicine on the
state. Oregon's good liberals also voted by 72% against another European
idea -- requiring the labeling of genetically modified foods.

Tax issues loomed smaller than normal, but once again voters were more
hostile to taxes than are the politicians they elect. Two measures to raise
sales taxes for transportation failed in Virginia despite support from
politicians of both parties. Voters in Washington state rejected a gas tax
increase and reaffirmed their desire to roll back car license fees to $30 a
year. An amazing 46% of voters in the state formerly known as Taxachusetts
voted to abolish the income tax, a clear message for GOP Governor-elect
Mitt Romney.

In the wake of the Florida 2000 recount, several liberal groups promoted
measures ostensibly to make voting easier but which would have increased
the chances someone could commit voter fraud. All were routed. California
and Colorado rejected plans to allow Election Day registration and voting.
Colorado also refused to join Oregon in its shortsighted decision to move
to abolish most polling places and conduct elections by mail. We note that
as of yesterday, Oregon's glacial counting of mail-in ballots wasn't
allowing it to call its tight governor's race.

Voters sent mixed signals on whether they want to limit the right of
citizen initiatives. Oklahoma wisely rejected a measure to nearly double
the signatures needed to put measures related to animal welfare on the
ballot. However, Oregon and Montana approved measures that will make it
slightly more difficult to qualify initiatives for future ballots.

There were other disappointments. Florida voters narrowly approved a
budget-busting measure to limit school class sizes, despite the lack of
evidence it's crucial in educational performance. A $3 million ad blitz by
a liberal Colorado heiress defeated Ron Unz's effort to end bilingual
education. But an identical measure passed with 68% in Massachusetts, where
pro and con spending was more equal.

Despite a few disappointing results, the clear message sent through most of
the measures on Tuesday's ballot was that personal responsibility matters
and that government, like families, must live within budgets. Once again,
voters demonstrated how direct democracy can be used to empower citizens
when their elected officials choose to ignore their concerns.