Populism will do that to you. The public tends to pass whatever feels good at the time, without any thought to the overall picture or to unintended consequences. For all their faults, elected representatives have to keep all those things in mind, and they pass laws with an eye toward all the state's needs. At least, one hopes they do.

Utah is one of only 24 states that allow the public to overturn a recently passed law. It also is one of 24 states (not the same ones) that allow the people to write new laws through initiatives.

Why have a majority of states not allowed these avenues? Because although direct democracy sounds like the fairest of all ways to make laws, it isn't. Rather, it is even more susceptible to special-interest manipulation than is the Legislature. And in a state of vast geography and varying interests, people in the most populous areas easily could either pass or nullify a law that affects people in rural areas in ways they don't like.

Those are hard realities to swallow if, like me, you feel run over by a law, or a stadium, that goes against the popular will.

Representative government can be frustrating. It can be unfair, and at times ugly. It also is the best form of government we've got. And with the executive and judicial branches as checks and balances, lawmakers can't go too far down the road of violating rights. Already, there is talk of a legal challenge to the voucher law.

If either group overcomes the obstacles and gets on the ballot, more power to them. But my guess is we'll just have to take out our frustrations next time we elect representatives.

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Jay Evensen is editor of the Deseret Morning News editorial page. E-mail: even@desnews.com