Ballot initiatives

I was just thinking about possible misuse of the referendum process, which took me to thinking about the ballot initiative process. Ballot initiatives should be publicly funded to get on the ballot (let's say with a $25/person max contribution). If ballots were only to appear on the ballot if enough money has been raised (e.g., $500,000), this would translate into a minimum number of supporters and would cover the cost of putting the initiative on the ballot. (It saddens me that I need to specify no business contributions...I'm sorry, but companies just aren't people and so they do not have the right to free speech). From there, the ballot should just happen...no huge mudslinging PR campaign. No nothing. It's time for people to be engaged in governance by educating themselves about the issues! One thing that would help with this is if all legal documents were written in simple english! I never want to read another "Whereas" again!

What about the poor, who might not have the disposable time to educate themselves as they try to hold down 2 or more jobs? If I were president, there would be a living wage in place of the woefully inadequate minimum wage. There, problem solved!