from a Christian
Worldview Perspective
By Kerry Messer
On November 7th the citizens of Missouri will be asked to vote
on four Amendments to our State Constitution and one proposed revision to
Missouri’s wage rate laws. Listed below are those five issues. Each issue
analysis begins with the ballot summary (the ballot question as it will appear
on the ballot) followed by an analysis of the issue and how citizens should
vote on the issue. At the end of this article I have put a quick reference
on how to vote on these issues which I recommend that voters cut from the
paper and take with them to the polls as a reminder of how to vote.
(Proposed by Citizen’s Initiative Petition)
Shall
the Missouri Constitution be amended to allow and set limitations on stem cell
research, therapies, and cures which will:
•
ensure Missouri patients have access to any
therapies and cures, and allow Missouri researchers to conduct any research, permitted
under federal law;
•
ban human cloning or attempted cloning;
•
require expert medical and public oversight and
annual reports on the nature and purpose of stem cell research;
•
impose criminal and civil penalties for any
violations; and
•
prohibit state or local governments from
preventing or discouraging lawful stem cell research, therapies and cures?
The
proposed constitutional amendment would have an estimated annual fiscal impact
on state and local governments of $0-$68,916.
Amendment 2 – Lies & Life - Missouri’s
Biggest and Boldest Political Deception!
Because of the
U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment “right to free speech,” some lawyers and
politicians have taken their legal “right to lie” to a new level. Claiming to “ban human cloning,” this
Amendment does the opposite by granting a constitutionally protected right to
clone human babies. In order to avoid
the public outrage over killing human embryos for “medical research” and
profits, this proposal attempts to redefine the biological, medical,
physiological, scientific, moral, ethical, and theological truths of human
embryology! In the same fashion, slick
politicians and lawyers tricked Missouri voters into legalizing casinos by
redefining “gambling” and calling it “gaming.” The only thing banned in
Amendment 2 is public honesty. Passage
of this Amendment empowers a human cloning industry which would be
constitutionally required to abort all implanted human clones before they are
born alive! Public funding of human
embryo killing and unethical experimentation, fetal tissue farms, and treating
human embryos and babies as commodities will become the norm under Amendment
2.
According to
scripture, you are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Contemporary science has
confirmed this biblical principle through discoveries in embryology. Three times in the New Testament we find references to the “conception” of Jesus
Christ as a single cell human embryo. In
2,000 years no one has ever developed an argument against the humanity of Jesus
(the debate always focuses on His divine nature and not His human nature). Today we now understand how the conception of
Jesus Christ did not violate any natural laws because of the fact that there
was no sperm or fertilization. The same is true for one of each set of
identical twins throughout 6,000 years of human history! Jesus, as well as each identical twin, had a
soul from conception and so does every other single cell human embryo – whether
he or she is formed naturally in a womb or artificially in a laboratory, with
or without the use of sperm or traditional fertilization!
Please: Vote NO on
human cloning. Vote NO on creating and killing
human life for profit. Vote NO on Amendment 2!
~ ~ ~
Constitutional
Amendment 3
(Proposed by
Citizen’s Initiative Petition)
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended
to create a Healthy Future Trust Fund which will:
1. be used to reduce
and prevent tobacco use, to increase funding for healthcare access and
treatment for eligible low-income individuals and Medicaid recipients, and to
cover administrative costs;
2. be funded by a
tax of four cents per cigarette and twenty percent on other tobacco products;
and
3. be kept separate
from general revenue and annually audited?
Additional taxes of four cents per cigarette
and twenty percent of the manufacturer’s invoice price on other tobacco
products generates an estimated $351 - $499 million annually for tobacco
control programs, healthcare for low income Missourians, and payments for
services provided to Missouri Medicaid beneficiaries and uninsured Missourians.
Local governmental fiscal impact is unknown.
Amendment 3 – Sanctity of Life Attack
Through a Politically Correct Tax?
A “Healthy
Future Trust Fund” sounds good. It is
very troubling that this proposed Amendment is not “Healthy” for Missouri’s
unborn children, puts the “Future” at more risk than it already is, and
demonstrates no more “Trust” than certain slick lawyers and politicians!
First, if
Missourians fall for the ‘let’s tax the latest politically vulnerable industry,’
- despite your support or distain for the industry – then who gets taxed
next? A. God’s Word forbids vice taxes
(sin tax). B. Tyranny of anyone through
disproportionate taxes calls for biblical opposition, (which was even part of
the motivation of our Founding Fathers in theologically disagreeing with the
passivism of the Tories in pursuing a war against the King of England). C. Principles of greed and corruption can be
drawn from the passage found in Proverbs 1:11
“Come with us, let us lay wait for blood,
let us lurk privily for the innocent….”
Is the tobacco
industry innocent? No. Is it to be blamed for all death, disease,
and suffering? Not completely, there is such
a thing as individual responsibility.
Will the industry bare the cost of disproportionate taxation? NO, all of the tax burden will be passed on
to the consumer. Will the additional cost of tobacco products motivate addicted
smokers to stop smoking? No, never has –
never will. Can the new revenues be used
wisely and to the benefit of Missourians?
Sure, but so can the current revenues that are not being used as
promised or expected by taxpayers!
If slick lawyers
and politicians cannot be trusted with current revenues, why give them
more? More revenues too often result in
more broken promises! A politically
motivated tax hike, multiplied by a disproportionate tax rate, equals more
disappointment and distrust. Passage of
these types of initiatives only fosters
a political environment whereby more lawyers and politicians will “lay wait for blood…(calling upon you to)
lurk privily for the innocent…” yet again.
Second, some will say… “But the money will be used
for a good cause!” According to
who? The same slick lawyers and
politicians who have proven their ‘trustworthiness’ before? Ask them, “Where is the tobacco settlement
funds being paid to the state going? How
are these billions of dollars being spent?”
Supporters of Amendment 3 will sidestep your question to brag about the
proposed uses of up to a half billion dollars annually collected from this
tax. But when they tell you about the
many benefits this money will be used for, ask them to define “medically
necessary.” They will not tell you that
the “medically necessary” health care provided through this tax will most
likely include performing abortions!
When they deny this planned use of public funds, ask them why the
proposal fails to restrict the use of these taxes like every other public fund
in the state?
Protect
Missouri’s “Health”, vote NO on Amendment 3.
Protect Missouri’s “Future”, vote NO on Amendment 3. Protect Missouri’s “Trust” with equity and
fairness, vote NO on Amendment 3. Protect Missouri’s innocent unborn, vote NO on Amendment 3!
~ ~ ~
Constitutional
Amendment 6
(Proposed by the
General Assembly (2006) SJR 26)
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended
to include a tax exemption for real and personal property that is used or held
exclusively for nonprofit purposes or activities of veterans’ organizations?
It is estimated this proposal will have a
minimal cost to state government. The estimated costs to local governmental
entities range from zero to approximately $45,000.
Amendment 6 – Veterans, Taxes, and Missouri’s Obligations
A workman is
worthy of his hire and should be compensated fairly. While this principle is often cited in a
variety of cultural contexts, it is rarely attributed to it’s foundation – the Bible.
If we taxpayers are obliged to compensate public servants fairly, who
could be more deserving of our support than the veterans who agree (or perhaps
forced) to risk their blood and their bodies for our personal safety?
Amendment 6 is
the only purely honest ballot question of the five being submitted to voters
this November 7th. The issue
is simple and basic. Should veterans
organizations whose purpose is to assist our veterans, and often continued
public service through a variety of projects and programs, be required to
pay property taxes to the state for their facilities? Missouri gives tax breaks to many deserving
groups, including churches. But if
tax breaks are given to profit earning industries and local governments, agricultural
and horticultural societies, certainly veterans organizations deserve to be
relieved of the same tax burden!
Support
our veterans who have made, and keep, us free.
Vote YES on Amendment 6.
~ ~ ~
Constitutional
Amendment 7
(Proposed by
the General Assembly (2006) HJR 55)
Shall Article XIII, Section 3 of the
Constitution be amended to require that legislators, statewide elected
officials, and judges forfeit state pensions upon felony conviction, removal
from office following impeachment or for misconduct, and to require that
compensation for such persons be set by a citizens’ commission subject to voter
referendum?
It is estimated this proposal will have no
costs to state or local governments.
Amendment 7 – Another Half-Truth Ballot
Question to be Rejected by Missouri Voters
This
Constitutional Amendment is a political ‘bait & switch’ con. James
5: 12 says “…let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay;
lest ye fall into condemnation.” God’s Word teaches us that anything less
than the whole truth is not just a deception – it is an abomination!
While all the
rhetoric has been focused on crooked politicians being found guilty and
convicted of committing felony crimes in a court of law (relatively rare
events) – the other 99.9% will be allowed to walk away with the money!
The ballot
question voters will see in the voting booth fails to tell the whole story of
House Joint Resolution 55. HJR 55 is the
proposal that will actually alter the State Constitution, as adopted by the
Missouri General Assembly during the 2006 legislative session.
The incomplete
ballot question starts true. Passage of
this Amendment will revoke pensions of lawmakers ultimately found guilty and “convicted”
of committing felony offenses. The same
would apply to politicians officially “removed” from office for “misconduct” or
“impeachment.” However, the penalty can
be avoided with plea bargains or optional pleadings in court, despite
guilt. Anyone who resigns voluntarily so
much as one day prior to ultimate removal, even after dragging the state
through an impeachment trial, could still keep their pension!
In other words,
there is less than a 1% chance that any politician would ever be disqualified
from receiving a taxpayer funded pension, despite any level of misconduct or
even after being caught red handed committing a felony. Sadly, the proposed ‘severity’ of facing even
the possibility of losing their pension would actually be used to demotivate a
potential criminal or impeachment trial!
But this is only
HALF the bad news. The deception in this
ballot question is in the fact that it is only a half-truth. Never mentioned is that this Constitutional Amendment
also liberalizes the ground rules for pay increases for politicians – while
making it sound just the opposite!
Article XIII, Section 3 of Missouri’s
Constitution outlines the procedures for the “Missouri Citizen’s Commission on
Compensation for Elected Officials.” Adopted in more recent
years, this citizen’s commission reviews and recommends salary schedules for
state officials, lawmakers and judges (municipal judges not included). While lawmakers can still adjust their own
pay for “cost-of-living” considerations, their primary salary, mileage
expenses, and per-day diems are set by the Commission.
The heart of the offense in this Amendment
is found in the changes to Subsection 8 of the constitutional process. Currently any pay increases become automatic
unless formally disapproved by a simple majority vote of the General
Assembly. This allows citizen input or
criticism of disproportionate increases to create a political atmosphere in
which a minority group of lawmakers can put everyone on the spot with a
publicly recorded roll call vote.
However, this Amendment requires the disapproval to be a super-majority
vote of two-thirds! This is a slap in
the face to Missouri taxpayers as a majority of politicians will get away with
voting against a pay increase knowing it will go into effect with only a
one-third vote supporting the increase.
(Well over a third of Missouri
House and Senate districts are political “safe” districts for either the
respective republican or democrat party candidate. Lawmakers know these districts are ‘immune’
from voter retribution on an issue like this.)
Additionally, the proposal goes on to remove
the requirement that any pay increase be subject to appropriations. In other words, politicians would be paid ‘off-the-top’
with no concern for funding priorities.
No committee votes, no amendments with recorded votes, no debate! Voters would never be allowed to hold
lawmakers accountable! Then, to make
matters even worse, in years of budget crunches, catastrophes, or even in an
economy crash, politician paychecks remain top priority with no voter’s voices
allowed unless they organize a multi-million dollar referendum!
Changes to politician paychecks would not
take effect over the next two years (not until January 1, 2009). But if voters reject Constitutional Amendment
7, changes to the compensation process will not have to occur at all! Please vote NO on
Amendment 7.
~ ~ ~
Proposition B
(Proposed by Citizen’s Initiative Petition)
Shall
Missouri Statutes be amended to increase the state minimum wage rate to $6.50
per hour, or to the level of the federal minimum wage
if that is higher, and thereafter adjust the state minimum wage annually based
on changes in the Consumer Price Index?
The
proposed revisions to Missouri’s wage rate laws generates
an estimated $3.3 million to $4.3 million annually in state revenue. The impact
on local government is unknown.
Proposition B
- Beyond Balance
Admittedly, minimum wage issues are
complicated to evaluate. Every side of
the debate has good points to make and most tend to over-exaggerate the
facts. From a biblical perspective work
and labor is a blessing which God created before the fall of man (Genesis 1:28, 2:15). This helps us understand the many other
teachings from scripture on this issue.
While we are not to complain about another person’s higher wages (Matthew 20:1-15), we are not to ignore
exploitation of our fellow man. As an
employee you are to give a full and honest day’s labor (Ephesians 6:5-8), yet as an employer you are to treat your hired
workers fairly and with respect (Ephesians
6:9).
Today’s labor market strikes a reasonable
balance on these and other business and work related biblical guidelines. There are abuses on both sides of the debate
and stories to be shared to make many points. However, it has been proven time
and again that the principles of free market enterprise, as developed in
western societies from Christian practices and the admonitions of God’s Word,
works best with the least governmental regulations as possible. The free market should only lose its freedom
when it demonstrates an unwillingness to be self-policed (illegal drugs,
pornography, corporate scandal, etc.).
Leviticus 19:36 states, “Just balances, just
weights, a just ephah, and a just hin,
shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of
Egypt.” Yet fairness in labor rates is
much more subjective than bartering grain, a commodity which reflects the
investment of labor and its fruit. While
fixed standards for pricing the fruits of labor must account for variable
conditions of quality and value, the labor to produce those fruits is wrought
with too many human variables to mandate inflexible customs. One of the reasons Jesus upheld the employer’s
right to pay some people the same amount for less labor was because of the
value of the labor to him along with the conditions and needs he had for hiring
the labor.
Six times the Lord expressly addresses just
weights and balances in His Word. In
several more places in scripture we are faced with inescapable
exploitation. These and other economic
principles have provided us the roadmap to become the greatest economic power
in the world, and throughout human history.
Our economy is so successful it has also become one of our greatest
distractions from Christ-like living as we allow wealth to become a leading
false god in our culture.
Higher minimum wage rates stress the ‘labor-to-value’
balance facing many small businesses and industries which produce labor intensive
services and products. Mandating these
wages at higher rates will force a reduction in employment leaving more people
with less jobs.
This means less production for the same labor value. Both problems clearly result in higher cost
of products and services for everyone, including the very people working
minimum wage jobs!
Additional aspects of this proposition
include its impact on entry level jobs compared to workplace advancement and
long term carriers. A thorough study of
economics and minimum wage level impacts on the free market, welfare programs,
and other ripple effects on the overall economy reveal the complexity of this
issue. Maybe this is why no political
party, when in the majority, has placed this radical increase before the voters
– despite all their political rhetoric to the contrary.
Let’s keep entry level jobs available for
those who need them, vote NO on Proposition B.
Let’s keep Missouri products and services at a lower cost for everyone,
vote NO on Proposition B. Let’s keep
Missouri’s free market as free and balanced as possible, vote NO on Proposition B.
~ ~ ~
As mentioned at the beginning of this article,
the following is a short summary that I recommend voters cut out and take
with them to polls as a reminder of how to vote on these vital ballot issues:
|
Kerry
Messer is founder and president of Missouri Family Network (MFN), a pro-family
lobbying organization based in Festus, MO.
He is also a lobbyist for the Missouri Southern Baptist Convention and the
St. Louis MetroVoice’s political advisor. Kerry’s
keen insight into the political process, coupled with his good grasp of common
sense analysis and biblical worldview, place him on the right side of the
issues he deals with. He and his family work hard in Jefferson City on a multitude
of the issues that affect the family and are supported by voluntary contributions
by God-fearing Missourians who are interested in promoting justice and liberty.
I highly encourage readers to consider devoting a small portion of their hard
earned income to this worthy ministry. The suggested minimum gift is $30,
but anything you send I know would be appreciated. Please note that gifts
are NOT tax deductible, since MFN lobbies for your family. For more information
regarding MFN they may be reached by calling 573-483-2007 or via e-mail at
mofamnet@ldd.net. Their mailing address is: MFN, P.O. Box 1288, Festus, MO
63028.
