My problem is that in this wacky state both methods of governance are easily corrupted and twisted to serve special interests. I don't see a way to tip the process toward improvement. How can one trust the wisdom of a public that continues to overwhelmingly support one-party rule that obviously hurts it in the long run? I wish VI would work, but I doubt it will.
This is a tough one. I have been a proponent of voter initiative since the time California passed prop 13 on tax reform back in the 1970's. You make good points, tough to refute, and Republicans tend to be, well, republican - i.e., let such matters filter through a wisdom of the representative legislature, but that's just our problem in RI. We DON'T have a wiser legislative body. So the other side of it is a more pure democratic method, relying on the wisdom of the raw electorate. That's another fine how do you do, but I guess I would still give the edge to the latter over the former, at least for now.
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