FOUR INITIATIVES

In addition to the many candidates wooing voters between now and the Nov. 5 general election, no fewer than four initiatives will likely appear on the ballot. Sifting through these issues can be as important as a vote for any candidate from the county courthouse to the national level. Missouri is one of 22 initiative and referendum states in which the people can participate directly in the proposal and enactment of laws at the ballot box. A legacy of the Progressive reform era early in this century, initiative and referendum efforts are an important injection of direct democracy into our mostly representative form of government.

Minimum wage

Gaining most attention in the early handicapping is the proposal by a left-wing organization calling itself Association for Community Reform Now to dramatically increase the minimum wage in Missouri. Under ACORN's initiative, Missouri's minimum wage would immediately jump from the current $4.25 to a highest-in-the-nation $6.25. That isn't all, however. Not only would this overnight jump be mandated, but beginning in the year 2000, each year would see automatic annual increases of 15 cents from the new, higher figure.

This government meddling in the private marketplace is a dagger aimed at small business, a job-killer and a prescription for an uncompetitive Missouri business climate. Seventy percent of Missouri jobs are on our state's borders within 25 miles of the state line. Were Missouri to adopt such uncompetitive business practices, businesses would be tempted to move across state lines, and many would actually do so, on business costs alone. If the ACORN proposal on the minimum wage qualifies for the ballot, among the most important business of the day will be for voters to see through the emotional smokescreen emitted by supporters. ACORN's ill-advised proposal must be defeated.

Parks and soil conservation

Another initiative that will almost certainly qualify for the November ballot is the Farm Bureau-led effort to re-enact the one-tenth-cent sales tax for parks and soil conservation. The initiative drive was necessary because the General Assembly failed to ensure the tax's continuation, amid efforts by urban lawmakers to seize some of the money for city parks such as Forest Park in St. Louis. This tax has been on the ballot since voters approved it in 1984 and has played the major role in dramatically reducing soil erosion. Voters re-approved it in 1988 and should do so this year.

Term limits

The other two initiative proposals deal with term limits. One proposal instructs lawmakers to call on Congress to approve an amendment to the U.S. Constitution imposing term limits, subject to state ratification, or convene a convention to propose the amendment. The second proposal instructs Missouri's congressional delegation to support passage of an amendment limiting terms of members of Congress. In both cases, incumbents failing to vote for term limits would have placed by their names the notation: "Disregarded voter instruction of term limit." Missourians overwhelmingly adopted term limits in 1992 and will likely look favorably on these as well.

These four initiative proposals will help make this one of the most interesting election years ever. Voters should be paying attention to the debate over them and carefully note the stands taken on them by candidates trying to win votes.