Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by cmn32480 on Friday November 18 2016, @03:46PM   Printer-friendly
from the power-of-social-media dept.

Floridians for Solar Choice reports

[November 8,] Florida voters rejected Amendment 1--the utility-backed proposal that sought to limit the growth of customer-owned solar power in the Sunshine State.

In a true David and Goliath battle, a diverse grassroots coalition of more than 200 organizations, solar companies, elected officials, and thousands of concerned citizens worked to defeat the deceptive utility-backed amendment. Amendment 1 opponents feel that a significant percentage of the "yes" voters felt they were tricked once they understood the true nature of the ballot measure. Constitutional amendments in Florida require 60 percent support to pass.

The millions of dollars in slick ad buys and glossy mailers did not win the day as opponents of Amendment 1 successfully harnessed social and earned media to educate Floridians about the true intent of this deceptive proposal while tapping a vast network of organizations, solar businesses and supporters who remain committed to growing--not restricting--Florida's solar industry.

[...] "In all my years of public service, I had never seen such a thinly-veiled attempt to intentionally mislead Florida voters" [...] said Mike Fasano (R), a former state Senator and current tax collector of Pasco County Tax.

Previously, PhilSalkie pointed out how easy it was to be confused by the competing proposals and other Soylentils weighed in on the disgusting state of electric infrastructure in Florida.
Florida Voters [Overwhelmingly] Approve Solar Energy Tax Break Constitutional Amendment


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 1) by nobu_the_bard on Friday November 18 2016, @04:29PM

    by nobu_the_bard (6373) on Friday November 18 2016, @04:29PM (#428909)

    Less exciting, but I was annoyed at PA's maximum retirement age for judges amendment. On the ballot it said it would "require judges to retire at age 75" (paraphrased); it failed to mention that they were currently required to retire at 70. It was not introducing a new limitation, as suggested by the phrasing, but increasing an existing one. I am glad I thought to study the ballot before I voted but I wonder how many people did this.

    Maybe more interesting was that it passed on only .9% of the popular vote. There were a lot of close races in PA too.

  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by Thexalon on Friday November 18 2016, @04:41PM

    by Thexalon (636) on Friday November 18 2016, @04:41PM (#428919)

    I'm not really a big fan of mandatory retirement age for judges. There are judges like John Paul Stevens who were very effective into their 90's, and others who go senile long before age 70.

    What I am a fan of is set terms for judges, with re-appointment allowed. For example, I'd like SCOTUS judges to serve something like 15 years, to reduce the incentive for the politicians to pick younger (and thus less experienced) justices. If, say, John Roberts is doing just fine, then he should have no problem getting re-appointed to the court.

    --
    The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
    • (Score: 2) by Pino P on Friday November 18 2016, @05:25PM

      by Pino P (4721) on Friday November 18 2016, @05:25PM (#428935) Journal

      Another possibility is to periodically test judges over 65 for cognitive impairment, and fire any judge that turns out to be clearly impaired in a manner that isn't reversible with diet or the like. It'd be like the eye test to renew a driver's license.

      • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Friday November 18 2016, @05:35PM

        by Thexalon (636) on Friday November 18 2016, @05:35PM (#428947)

        That addresses the senility issue. It doesn't address the problem with lifetime appointments, where the politicians try to appoint younger less-experienced judges so that their pick will have a longer appointment term than a more experienced and thus older judge would have.

        --
        The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2016, @07:06PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2016, @07:06PM (#429019)

          There is value in youth, just as there is value in age.
          It isn't like they've been putting people fresh out of law-school on the bench.

          Elena Kagan is the current youngest and she was appointed at 50 years of age.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2016, @07:36PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2016, @07:36PM (#429048)

            you didn't address the concern.
            the concern was "politicians will choose younger judges not based on merit, but because they will stay there longer".
            if the appointment time is limited, then age will no longer matter, only competence.

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 19 2016, @02:42PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 19 2016, @02:42PM (#429404)

              He hasn't presented any evidence of that being a problem.

      • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Arik on Friday November 18 2016, @05:42PM

        by Arik (4543) on Friday November 18 2016, @05:42PM (#428953) Journal
        There's no magic line at 65, if you're going to have cognitive testing you should start on day 1 and keep checking periodically after, regardless of age.
        --
        If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
        • (Score: 2) by takyon on Friday November 18 2016, @05:50PM

          by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Friday November 18 2016, @05:50PM (#428962) Journal

          Term limits rather than age restrictions. And no lifetime appointments. There will always be another worthy judge, or even a better one.

          The age of decline will be a moving target once anti-aging treatments hit the streets. And judges will be rubbing shoulders with the people getting early access to those.

          --
          [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 1) by shipofgold on Friday November 18 2016, @08:51PM

      by shipofgold (4696) on Friday November 18 2016, @08:51PM (#429104)

      If, say, John Roberts is doing just fine, then he should have no problem getting re-appointed to the court.

      I think it would be highly dependent on which party is in power at the time and who is doing the 're-appointing'. It isn't a bad idea given how political the Supreme Court has become. Getting a constitutional amendment like that passed would be fun to watch. I won't hold my breath.