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It's a train metaphor. Electric trains, like any other trains, have 2 rails the wheels go on. But there's a 3rd rail from which the train draws power. Touching
by jmyeet 4y ago
It's a train metaphor. Electric trains, like any other trains, have 2 rails the wheels go on. But there's a 3rd rail from which the train draws power. Touching it is death.
It was a common metaphor to describe Social Security reform years ago as people realized the system was headed for "bankruptcy". At least that's what they called it. In reality it was just that outgoings would exceed receipts by the 2030s, which means funding it from general revenue or reducing benefits.
But anyone who suggested "reforming" Social Security, such as private retirement accounts replacing it, tended to die a horrible political death and thus the third rail.
The other third rail I can think of is eliminating free street parking in NYC.
- vmception 4y agothanks for elaborating on that for them, California propositions are citizen initiated amendments that citizens vote on so it doesn't need a politician to run on that sacred platform
- inferiorhuman 4y agoTo clarify Prop 13 is an initiative, a normal law passed by ballot box tyranny, not a constitutional amendment. The same people who would shout down a politician for trying to reform Prop 13 would vote against any effort to reform it via initiative. Besides, as a result of Prop 13, tax "increases" require a ⅔ majority to pass. Try getting ⅔ of California to agree on anything. Modifications to Prop 13 get to the ballot box periodically and the only ones that seem to pass expand its scope. Attempts to pare it back are met with fierce resistance from the anti-government folks. In general initiatives are a scourge and not a remedy to anything. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_California_Proposition_13 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_California_Proposition_13 https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781565843578 https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781565843578
- masonic 4y ago> a normal law No, Prop 13 was an Initiative Constitutional Amendment. >not a constitutional amendment. You're flat wrong.
- masonic 4y ago>California propositions are citizen initiated amendments Propositions are anything going on the ballot for voter confirmation. They encompass Legislative statutes, Legislative Consitutional Amendments, Initiative Statutes, and Initiative Constitutional Amendments.