Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Election 2006: Proposal 1

1. November 2006 • Juliew
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The following text was taken primarily from the Nonpartisan Michigan Voter Guide sponsored in large part by the League of Women Voters.

Proposal 06-1
A PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO REQUIRE THAT MONEY HELD IN CONSERVATION AND RECREATION FUNDS CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THEIR INTENDED PURPOSES

The proposed constitutional amendment would:

  • Create a Conservation and Recreation Legacy Fund within the Constitution and establish existing conservation and recreation accounts as components of the fund.
  • Use current funding sources such as state park entrance and camping fees; snowmobile, ORV and boating registration fees; hunting and fishing license fees; taxes and other revenues to fund accounts.
  • Establish the current Game and Fish Protection Fund and the Nongame Fish and Wildlife Fund within the Constitution.
  • Provide that money held in Funds can only be used for specific purposes related to conservation and recreation and cannot be used for any purpose other than those intended.

If you vote YES:
Proposal 1 would establish the “Conservation and Recreation Legacy Fund,” the “Game and Fish Protection Trust Fund,” and the “Nongame Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund” within our State Constitution. Voting “Yes” will constitutionally protect boating, hunting, fishing, snowmobile, ORV, state park and forest entry fees, and camping fees from being used to balance the state budget. This is not a tax hike or fee increase, and will not change any fees. This protects the funds that you already pay into when you buy a license, pay DNR fees, or register your snowmobile, ORV or boat. Activities such as upkeep of boating and camping facilities, trail development, wildlife management and habitat, conservation officers, and public access sites are supported by these funds and get no monies from the general fund state budget. Proposal 1 has broad, bi-partisan support.

If you vote NO:
Opponents of this proposal say that this proposal is another attempt to earmark state revenue for special purposes and should not be put in the state’s Constitution. The Legislature needs flexibility to respond to economic conditions. This amendment will mean the Legislature can not use these funds for any other purposes, no matter what the other needs of the state might be. By protecting these funds, this proposal will limit the Legislature and the Governor’s ability to use their judgment in determining the best way to balance the state’s budget and to spend tax dollars to best serve current and future Michigan residents. The language in this proposal is virtually the same as the current statutory language restricting these funds so all this amendment will accomplish is to make it more difficult and costly to change these restrictions if that is needed in the future.



  1. Over the next few days, we will try to cover most of the high (or low) points of the upcoming election, next Tuesday, November 7. While the Governor’s race and Proposal 2 have been widely covered, there are also races for Secretary of State, Attorney General, Senator and Representatives, State Board of Education, Regents for UM and MSU, State Supreme Count, Court of Appeals, and five state-wide ballot proposals to understand, in addition to the local Mayoral, City Council, and millage requests. Everyone’s participation will help all of us decide how we are going to vote.


       —Juliew    Nov. 1 '06 - 09:21PM    #
  2. With all the elections and ballot initiatives, we could be looking at a long ballot on Tuesday.

    From what I hear, many of the ballot initiatives will be on the back of the ballot. That’s why the ACLU is telling voters to “Turn it over on Tuesday” so you don’t lose your chance to vote on these proposed constitutional ammendments.


       —Chuck Warpehoski    Nov. 1 '06 - 09:46PM    #
  3. I collected a batch of sample ballots and sites that generate your own personalized sample ballot for you from Publius, Gannett, vote-mi.org, and a few municipalities like Saline that had ballots online.

    The recommendation from Publius is that you look
    up and print your ballot well ahead of time so that you can have it marked up and ready to go on election day.


       —Edward Vielmetti    Nov. 2 '06 - 02:08AM    #
  4. We also have WashtenawVotes.org to provide polling places and ballot information for voters in Washtenaw County (based on address).

    It shows an aerial photo/map of the polling place and a link to get directions. At the bottom of the results page, the “See Your Ballot” link will bring up a complete list of your choices in a separate window.


       —Larry Kestenbaum    Nov. 2 '06 - 08:11AM    #
  5. Larry,

    1. Coolest post time ever.
    2. Fixed link here: WashtenawVotes.org
    3. You can navigate other parts of the city with the aerial photo map and the max zoom resolution is good enough to make out stuff like, say, a 12×1 foot board! So I’m voting for whoever did the maps.


       —HD    Nov. 2 '06 - 08:32AM    #
  6. I’ve got nothing against, say, campsites, but the idea that they’re so essential that their funding must be enshrined in the state constitution seems totally bizarre. Is there anyone with a sensible argument to the contrary? (Is there any chance this thing will pass anyway?)


       —Bruce Fields    Nov. 2 '06 - 09:22AM    #
  7. Polls suggest that Proposal 1 will pass overwhelmingly.


       —Larry Kestenbaum    Nov. 2 '06 - 12:04PM    #
  8. Larry, the aerial photo/map for Tappan Middle School on WashtenawVotes.org shows Westgate. It says 2251 E. Stadium but I think it is showing 2251 W. Stadium. Clicking Get Directions to Your Polling Place does give the right map, though.


       —David F    Nov. 2 '06 - 06:23PM    #
  9. Yikes! Noted and passed along to the people who maintain the database.


       —Larry Kestenbaum    Nov. 2 '06 - 07:54PM    #
  10. In a time of shrinking state resources, it’s only natural that people will want to lock in funding for the things they think are most important – conservation, education, whatever.


       —David Cahill    Nov. 3 '06 - 03:25AM    #