Amazing referendums happening!

     So many interesting examples of direct democracy in Switzerland (and one in Canada) recently:
     1. The citizens of the large and powerful Canton of Zurich voted to stop its legislators from providing 200 million Swiss Francs for a new football stadium; which makes one wonder whether the city of North Bay should have permitted a referendum before expanding its coliseum by several million dollars to permit a hockey team to perform there.
    2. The small village of Hodrigen where that giant of a mining company Xstrata Glencore has a plant, and where some 1 million Sw. Frs were recently received from the 360 million  of that huge company's tax,   voted via  a referendum to provide 120 thousand Sw. Fr to aid projects in poorer parts of the world where the  company operates. Now isn't that some sort of altruistic leaning! Should our aid dollars receive similar backings?
    3. In the Italian canton of Ticino, a referendum which garnered 12,000 signatures back in 2011 for such petition just recently voted 65% in favour, to ban the public wearing of head coverings such as the Burka. It would not include carnival masks, dust filters or motorcycle helmets. But it would send a "signal" that people are against militant Islam according to a main proponent, though only a handful of such people are living in that canton.  It was hoped that the signal would be copied elsewhere within the country. We wonder whether it will be heard in Quebec, where a similar sort of effort is being now proposed; (though via a citizen referendum?)
    4. But what about the proposed guaranteed monthly income of 3,000Sw, Fr. for all Swiss adults, about which there has been just signed a petition of some 120,000 Swiss (of a needed 100,000)? It may be voted upon in 2014. Will the Swiss people approve that? Time will tell. But, it certainly has the potential of changing some fabric of that country. Some companies say that they would have to leave  if such a law came into place.
    5. Finally,  in British Columbia the only province in Canada which has   a detailed law about citizens voting in  referendums, there is very interesting effort just being started. It is to permit the legalization of marijuana. There is in B.C. an extremely difficult requirement that to have a binding citizen-initiated referendum one must get ten percent of the citizens in every riding within 90 days to sign a petition wishing such vote. Since the enactment of the enabling legislation in the 1990's, only one such question has managed such a difficult task - one which ultimately barred the HST. But some 1600 volunteers have been obtained to travel the province to obtain such signatures. Will B.C. emulate its neighbour, Washington State to permit adult smoking of  marijuana? Again, time will tell; but it is clearly another example of the pursuit of pure democracy being attempted by earnest citizens.
     Can one find fault in these efforts to involve citizens in the running of their country, countries which deem themselves - democracies?  Yet, where else in Canada, where in Ontario, where in North Bay, can one see similar examples of citizen involvement? The frustrations mount under the current system. Will we see changes here? You can hope they do; or better - try to persuade others that they should happen; - before Egyptian-like explosions happen here;  or before bankruptcies a la Detroit, destroy our very fabric.