US Voters Cast Ballots in Referendums; Sky Doesn't Fall

The American electoral system is sufficiently different from our own that there probably aren't many lessons for Canadians to draw from Tuesday's vote.
However, there is one way in which Americans flexed their democratic muscles that would be worth noting - especially since it was such a major issue in the recent Alberta provincial election.
In Colorado and Washington State, voters approved measures to leagalize marijuana. In four different stated, voters approved measures to allow same-sex marriage.
These historic votes would not have occured in these states without citizens having the right to initiate referendums.
The idea of citizens initiative was proposed by the Wildrose Party in April's provincial election. Sadly, the idea was met with shrill fearmongering and shameful demagoguery.
We heard all sorts of awful stories about how abortion rights and gay rights would be taken away by Alberta voters, and infrastructure would be left crumbling thanks to selfish taxpayers.
Tuesday showed us how voters can be trusted with the responsibility to deal with important and sophisticated issues. Even on issues of taxation, voters are open to convincing arguments.
For example, in Glendale, Arizona - home to the Phoenix Coyotes - voters overwhelmingly rejected measure that would reverse a recent hike in the city's sales-tax.
We saw this tool at work recently as voters in BC were able to have their say on the HST.
It's too bad that so many politicians and pundits in Alberta don't think we can be trusted with the same responsibility.