With all the attention focused on Congressional and gubernatorial races next Tuesday, it's easy to forget the direct impact voters can have via the initiative and referenda process. Key measures will be on the ballot in a number of key states with the ability to cut taxes, avoid massive tax increases, and push back against the Obama agenda in D.C.

In today's Human Events, I look at key initiatives on this year's ballot, including those that preempt key pieces of Democrats' legislative agenda, like card check and the individual health care mandate. In Washington State, voters will decide whether to implement an income tax for the first time, allowing tax-and-spenders to get a proverbial foot in the door to gradually higher and broader taxation and eliminate Washington's precious tax advantage.

Of course, most of the money behind big government I&R campaigns comes from Big Labor, who often use taxpayer dollars to lobby for…more taxpayer dollars. From my piece:

The biggest pro-tax funders of I–1098 do have Washington addresses—Washington, D.C., that is. Six of the eleven biggest contributions to Yes on I–1098 come from D.C. unions, among them are $900,000 from the Service Employees International Union and $750,000 from the National Education Association. And 17 of the 22 six-figure pro-tax campaign contributions come from unions. They are literally buying an income tax for Washingtonians from their perch on K Street.

To read the whole thing, click here.