Referendum Quotations

Why don't we hear more about and from Asians when it comes to race in America? Are Asians the new Invisible Man - there but not there? In some ways, yeah. Blacks and whites are always carping about the metrics of racism. And any conversation about immigration reform is immediately flipped into a referendum on Hispanics.

People took part in the referendum because they were tired of the war. They are afraid of talking about it out loud, but they have shown exactly where they stand: Yes, we want peace, and we want to be a part of Russia.

The decision on whether there is another referendum is down to the Scottish people.

If the states and territories do not sign up to fundamental reform, then my message is equally simple: we will take this reform plan to the people at the next election - along with a referendum by or at that same election to give the Australian Government all the power it needs to reform the health system.

We feel that the referendum as stated is not supporting the troops and hurting their morale.

With the polls open and insurgent attacks in parts of Baghdad, the measure of success of the referendum will depend in part on Sunni participation in the vote,

We want others to know that the debate is not over and we want another referendum in due course.

We were at such a fever pitch over getting to setting the referendum date and amount ... that I think having gotten to that point everybody heaved a sigh of relief and the air went out of the tires.

We want them to ... agree to a referendum to allow Texans to vote on the independence issue,

The referendum will boil down to a fundamental debate on the future of this great state. The referendum campaign will be a choice between those who support the status quo versus those who believe in greater economic prosperity.

The referendum result is a blow for the constitutional process, but not the end of it, ... It is also not the end of the German-French partnership in and for Europe.

The referendum on the constitution and the elections at the end of December are the most important aspects of what we're doing now.

The referendum is the public's right to decide. It's time for the public to decide if we go ahead with these reforms or not.

When the incumbent mayor loses a primary by a 2-to-1 margin, it's a referendum on his performance. It has nothing to do with party loyalty. It's about value and judgment.

The primary security for this referendum and the national election ... will be provided for by Iraqi security forces,

Security was very good at the (constitutional) referendum in October and they have built on that.

She has made this a referendum on herself, ... I expect to be on the search committee for a new CEO. This time around we do not want someone learning on the job.

Since the referendum on the EU constitution, Chirac has been in a much weakened position, and it has become obvious he is not really in the running for another term as president.

One would think that when we've been talking about a referendum for over a year, you'd think that we'd have a clear direction by this time. After all, the superintendent has been in charge for about eight months.

Monies from the referendum only allow us to maintain our existing programs. We aren't adding anything else. We've had to make cuts and we're down to basically our base programs. Any future cuts will cut into our quality education.

But we will be forced to war if the Legislative Yuan or a referendum approves a new constitution.

fundamentally a referendum within our party on whether we're going to build on the Clinton transformation in our party in 1992 that reassured people we were strong on defense, we were fiscally responsible, we cared about values, we were interested in cutting taxes for the middle class and working with business to create jobs.

Had Referendum C not passed we could have been one of the first states to get to a place where we provided no state money to higher ed. We need to educate a workforce long before university.

He'd talk about the referendum (scheduled for Oct. 15), reconstruction projects, sewer projects, you name it, ... We wound up in the Iraqi version of Starbucks, drinking chai with locals. It was easily the most interesting raid I've ever been on.

Whatever the results of the referendum are ... it is a civilized step that aims to put Iraq on the path of true democracy.

We represent the taxpayer and they don't want the school to change. Yet everything is increasing, including education. Well, taxes also need to be increased ... I think you need to form a referendum committee right away to begin gauging feelings about this.

What with the referendum were they truthful about? The taxes people had to pay? No. The finances? No. How much debt we had? No. How much did they get right?

Going to referendum is a 50-50 chance, but it forces districts to be critical in communicating the need.

He wanted to talk. I had a plan B in place for a referendum effort. .... I appreciate Doug stepping up. I think he did a good job. I think we have a guy we can work with.

It becomes a gaming issue only when and if the Legislature passes the bill, and it becomes a referendum in Kanawha, Ohio, Hancock, and Jefferson counties.

I think it's flat-out a referendum on Arnold and his agenda. I don't think there's any way around that. He's made it so by his own rhetoric and his own positioning.

I think we need to put it in a referendum and present it to the people,

I think we will eventually need to have an operating budget referendum but the problem is I don't think voters will go for it until we've changed how we handle the budget that we have.

It is a referendum on nationalism versus internationalism, on modernity versus tradition.

I said to (President) Bush if there is time, then a referendum can be carried out,

Our 600 employees in Maine can breathe a sign of relief that this referendum is not going forward. We were always hopeful that the effort to impose a crippling new tax on Maine's bottled water companies would not gain sufficient public support.

Our region shall be formed at the desire and request of the people through a referendum as enshrined in the constitution. Our main challenge now is to establish a secure atmosphere in the center, the south and other parts of Iraq.

I was totally shocked that this referendum lost. The more people I talked to, the more I thought it would pass.

I was one of the actors in 'Braveheart,' and that had a huge impact on the political scene in Scotland. One of the results of that, in 2014 there's going to be a referendum in Scotland as to whether Scotland is going to be independent. A great deal of that was brought to the nation as a result of 'Braveheart.'

I would hope that as we go through the political process, the referendum and the next set of elections in December, it will become clear how secure the political machinery in Iraq is becoming,

Who knows what will happen if we go back to referendum in two years. The taxpayers could say they want to just approve one (portion of the package).

Whoever was looking for a referendum got a referendum.

We intend to reach the highest international standards, so that all the referendum results will be fair and transparent.

We hope that the lessons learned in the January election and the referendum will enable them to perform even better.

We have to look at all areas. I have to plan for a $218,000 deficit. The referendum could fail. If it does, I've got to have the budget balanced.

We believe the euro could slide to 85 cents and things could get a lot worse, with the Danish referendum going against joining the euro.

We need to understand that this is a warning, ... Over the next few months we're going to see a referendum on a constitution that's going to trigger more debates on Shiite identity ... The idea that the constitution or referendum is going to clear this up is unrealistic.

We are rapidly approaching six months from the point where citizens approved the referendum for the third high school. I'm just appalled that we're six months into this and have made this little progress ... Construction costs are going up by the month, day, hour.

Why did you let us take out the referendum then? It should have been blocked, ... I spent a lot of time on these petitions. You can't give out paperwork that you can't accept.

This referendum reflects public opinion at this time.

This referendum is not going to be the turning point that solves everything, but it will take things to the next step. The good news is that there will be a next step with the elections.

This referendum is just not going to fly.

There are large national movements afoot about redistricting and union dues that are looking to this referendum ... for momentum, ... If either measure wins or loses, it will have dramatic consequences for whether these national movements move ahead or get stopped in their tracks.

With confidence in a unified Iraqi state at a low ebb, ... there is a lot resting on the referendum to replace insurgency with political participation.

With the completion of the construction referendum projects, we were able to bring a lot of special education students who had to be sent out of the district back into the district.

To some degree, ... this election is a referendum on what people think about Arnold's concept of reform.

There is also some confusion about how this project differs from the old, proposed conference center (that failed by referendum six years ago). And most people want to know where it would be located, and how it would be paid for.

There could even be a double election for both houses, cast as a referendum on constitutional revisions.

This tax allows the county to spend money in other ways that might not hold up on a referendum such as this. Nobody wants to vote against the library. I don't know if voters have the heart to vote down the library.

What's a joke? ... The referendum is non-binding. You object to an ordinance being introduced to make that binding?

We cannot forget the 10 million Iraqis who voted in October 2005 for the constitutional referendum and last month 12 million elected Iraq's first four year government, this tells me the Iraqis want democracy and a better way of life.

The president is always somewhere on the horizon in any midterm election, and in this one it might very well be more than the usual referendum on the president. Bush could be a heavy shadow in this election.

What the Democrats are trying to do is make this a referendum about Bush. What we are saying is, 'Look, this is about a choice.' The strategy is to go out and define what this choice is going to be about and that's what you are beginning to see.

What's fascinating about doing comedy about the referendum is, because it is the first time, it is the most extraordinary atmosphere. You find that if you are making jokes about politicians, it becomes intensely political.

We are going to go to referendum because our question is to the public.

Every smoking referendum I've ever polled has passed and I don't think Nevada is any different. What's unique about Nevada is that there is controversy in having two competing smoking initiatives.

A similar decision by the government coalition would allow the referendum process to begin immediately, under the best auspices and with the full backing of the European Union.

The results of the referendum were not surprising as the whole process is supervised and protected by the US occupation forces,

There was 80 percent support for the referendum from eligible permit holders.

I've been quite involved in a lot of U.N. operations over the years. I was a U.N. observer at the East Timor referendum in 2000. I've been very involved in that for a long time.

It was very appropriate. I couldn't imagine how we could be shut out of our rights to a referendum because of a mistake in the minutes. It just seems unfair and inappropriate.

It was almost like he was putting his name on the ballot next to Kilgore and giving people a chance to have a referendum on his presidency. It was really bad timing for Jerry Kilgore that this election coincided exactly with the low point of the Bush presidency.

The Secretary-General is pleased that the United Nations has been able to support the IECI in conducting the two national elections and constitutional referendum of the past year under challenging circumstances.

The technology aspect of this referendum is the one that I don't think voters realize the need. That is why I am pushing for it.

People see this election or this convention as a referendum on the immigration issue and whether the convention delegates want to vote for a business as usual immigration candidate for our Senate or someone who's committed to solving the problem. He seems to be focusing his campaign on secondary issues such as taxation and deficits and Social Security.

The money was set aside for us, but the stipulation was that we had to hold a referendum first. If we didn't act now, we'd lose the money because the SCC would be entitled to give it to another school district with a successful referendum.

Any discussion of zonal tax rates immediately raises constitutional issues. The chances of changing section 99 of the Constitution by referendum on this issue are zero,

A referendum ...by High Point residents would certainly be a guiding force,

This election was called by Schwarzenegger, and it is a referendum on Schwarzenegger.

This election serves as a national referendum on whether you are for or against the postal privatization. Unless we privatize the postal system, we cannot reform our social welfare.

This ballot referendum is a chance for voters to go in and give their opinion on the current policy. It is a chance to say we want to change the war policy.

They're going to talk about the referendum we just had and talk about what worked and didn't work, and go over options for a future referendum. Should we take out the parking garage? Should we leave in the parking garage? Our science labs are atrocious. This time, we're going to take pictures and show the community in a better way than we did last time.

It's actually unlikely that the Paisley campaign can win, in the sense that it can prevent this referendum (from) being passed.

It's a referendum on the centerpiece of the Bush presidency.

It's a referendum on him and his political team's persuasive abilities.

It's not that I don't care about what people think, I just don't think it sets a good precedent. Every time you make a decision, I don't think you should have to go to a referendum question.

It's very interesting to me that the nationalist movement in Scotland has become so positive and self-reflective rather than anti-English. The referendum in 2014 was peaceful, for all its deeply and passionately divided people.

It takes us to a level that is scary. That means we have to live with a referendum passing, or we frankly die as a school district. We will be out of money.

These people on this side of the aisle are in favor of states rights everyday of the week are standing up and saying, 'we're for state's rights, as long as we agree with the state' preempting the will of the people of Oregon. It's not the state of Oregon. It's the people of the state of Oregon twice by initiative and referendum who passed this law.

The FF Plus is convinced that the voter day on March 1 is an ideal opportunity to also hold a referendum on those issues that are closest to the heart of Pretoria residents.

In contrast to the prescribed right to statewide referendum process, there is no affirmative right under the Maine Constitution which enables citizens to enact local ordinances by petition. This conclusion is in accordance with Maine law.... In conclusion, the city drafted the charter to provide for a citizen's initiative process and the city can amend the charter to limit that process. The proposed amendment is in accordance with state and federal constitutions, as well as state statute.

I'm looking at this wall, and it isn't even on the list of repairs. When we say that we cut the referendum (amount) to the point of bare necessities, we mean it.

If there's a referendum that says you might be put out of business, that doesn't give them a lot of confidence in a 15-year loan.

If referendum comes and any programs have to be cut, I hold every one of you who voted for this responsible.

If you go down this path, and we take the steps we're taking now, it's going to move our chances for a referendum from slim to none. We're going to be stuck in these buildings for probably 10 to 15 years.

In some ways, the symbolism of this referendum may be more important to this administration than the actual substance because the referendum is not likely to alter the underlying security environment. And, in fact, there is some chance that it may make matters even worse.

I really don't like the referendum route when it goes after the governance of the town,

If you make it a referendum on a president with a 67 percent approval rating, you shouldn't be surprised if the election goes against you.

It has to be clear that the mandate we will be asking from the population in the next election is to hold the referendum as soon as possible in the mandate.

Holtzman clearly showed in the Referendum C campaign he was willing to go scorched earth. Bitter fights leave scars.