Deceptive Missouri Amendments 4, 5 would strip the voters’ voice | Opinion
As Missourians, we work hard and show up for our families and communities. Regardless of the individual views we hold, everyone deserves a say in the decisions that affect our freedom to make a good living and have a good life. I’ve spent more than a decade fighting for these rights with other workers across the Show-Me State.
But while we have used our strength in numbers to make our state better for us all, politicians like Gov. Mike Kehoe and House Speaker Jon Patterson have done the opposite. Our state motto is “Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law,” but they have undermined the will of the people, undoing the voices of voters and disrespecting us.
Their latest scheme to deceive Missourians involves Amendments 4 and 5 on the August ballot.
Amendment 4 makes it nearly impossible for Missourians to pass ballot measures. For generations, a ballot measure has passed when it earns a majority of votes statewide. Amendment 4 throws that out the window, rewriting the rules so that a citizen-led initiative petition measure needs a majority of votes in all eight congressional districts to pass.
When we placed Proposition A on the ballot by petition and then passed it by a wide margin, it meant for the first time in my life I could take paid sick time for a routine doctor’s appointment or health emergency. For more than a decade, fast food workers like me joined together — people of every background and skin color — to make this victory possible. Then a handful of Republican lawmakers overturned what the majority backed.
Now, with Amendment 4, they want to make it so they don’t have to undermine our voices and votes when they don’t like the outcome. They would never have to listen to us in the first place.
This is even clearer with Amendment 5. Working families would pay more so the ultrawealthy can avoid paying what they owe in income taxes and wages. While the wealthy line their pockets, most Missourians would get stuck paying higher sales taxes on groceries, gas, childcare, doctor’s visits, rent and car repairs in exchange for their greed.
Each of my two monthly paychecks is $1,000. The first one covers my rent, which has been increasing up to $50 a month every year. That leaves me less money to spend on other essentials such as electricity, gas to get to the job that underpays me, and groceries — which I’m already rationing to get to the next paycheck.
Amendment 5’s “everything tax,” coupled with Amendment 4, would strip me of my freedom to do more than just barely survive.
From Kansas City to the Ozarks, St. Louis to the bootheel, from the Branson strip to the Hannibal riverfront, the river bluffs to the Prairies, we want our elected leaders to fight for our freedoms, not steal from us so they can line the pockets of a wealthy few.
Just like we have been organizing our strength in numbers to beat back the CEOs who steal the wealth our hard work creates — together we can stop deceptive state politicians from undoing the progress we’ve made, and keep working together to actually make things better for people in our state.
We have already demonstrated time and time again the power of the working class when we take bold action together. It’s how we passed Medicaid expansion, a higher minimum wage, the right to an abortion and other policies that have improved the lives of millions of Missourians.
Join us Saturday at noon at Westport Presbyterian Church, 201 Westport Rd. In Kansas City. We are coming together as part of a Show-Me GOTV Statewide Day of Action to make sure that when it comes to decisions about our lives, we the people have the final say. See you on the doors.
Richard Eiker is a 57-year-old Kansas City resident who has worked at McDonald’s for decades. He is a leader with Missouri Workers Power and has been in the fight for workers’ rights since 2012. Learn more about volunteer opportunities at mobilize.us/mogotv