The “Vote No” campaign’s television advertisements argue, “Question One means special interests set the agenda. Eliminate our basic rights. Ban gay marriage and abortion. Tax giveaways to corporations. Cut workers rights and benefits.”

The arguments are almost too ridiculous to warrant a response. The so-called special interests urging a Yes vote had raised just $12,000 at the time the No forces approached the million-dollar mark. As John Woodcock, a former Democratic state legislator and a leader on the Yes side said, “We are being outspent 83 to 1. It’s the individual vs. behemoth special interests. It’s the grassroots vs. the establishment. It’s David vs. Goliath.”

Attack ads to the contrary, none of the freedoms recognized by the Bill of Rights is open for tinkering. Furthermore, supporters of a Yes vote, like the Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations, are most assuredly not seeking “tax giveaways to corporations.”

It is true that the state supreme court’s recent 4-3 ruling recognizing a right to same-sex marriage in Connecticut has mobilized the Catholic Church, The Family Institute and some religiously motivated activists to support a convention even more than before. The recent UConn poll, however, showed a majority of state voters opposed to a ban on gay marriage.

At the No website, one reads this ominous warning: “The public has no say on what the lobbyists propose to do to the constitution.” But most certainly the public does. The people get to vote any proposed change up or down. This omission is, of course, essential to whipping up irrational fears of a convention.

Perhaps Connecticut’s political bigwigs exclude this important fact also because they dare not mention what they most oppose: The voters having “more say.” Voters get the final word on both the changes proposed by a constitutional convention and ballot issues proposed by citizens, should the convention lead to the enactment of a ballot initiative process.

Similar constitutional convention questions appear on the Hawaii and Illinois ballots this year, similarly mandated by their constitutions. And the campaigns in those two states echo the Connecticut campaign. Voters seeking initiative and referendum to check the power of politicians and special interests are also urging Yes votes on those state convention questions. And, likewise, find themselves bullied in the battle by the well-heeled insiders.

In Illinois, the company of David Axelrod, Barack Obama’s campaign guru, has the $3 million contract to convince voters to say No to change.

There is good change and bad change. The entrenched political insiders in every state and in Washington don’t want either one . . . no matter what jingles you hear this time of year.

That’s why the change we most desperately need is more citizen control of government. In Connecticut, there is a real chance for real change.