No Account California
Here in populous California, the Land of Fruits and Nuts (as my old friends in Iowa liked to call it), the vote for president goes on without us. So as a consolation, we have the fun of our initiative system.
Before 1911, measures could only be placed on the ballot by the legislature. But in 1911, following the lead of eight other states, two methods were adopted for citizens to take an issue directly to the ballot.
The first requires the citizen to obtain an official title and summary from the Attorney General's office, after which said citizen has 150 days to collect a certain number of signatures. This number is based on a percent (5% or 8%) of all votes cast for the office of Governor in the most recent election. The signatures must then pass a verification process before the initiative is placed on the ballot. Conflicting measures sometimes make it onto the ballot, and in this case the winner is the one that gets the most affirmative votes.
In any given election, Californians are subjected to an array of contentious and often confusing propositions, with lots of money spent by proponents and opponents to persuade or confuse one into voting one way or another. One popular tactic is to make the issue so overwhelmingly confusing that voters will vote No out of shear frustration. Another is to write the measure so that a Yes vote means No, somehow.
This year is no exception. There are 16 props on the ballot, with some measures being abandoned in mid stream to be replaced by others. The Secretary of State does a good job of trying to simplify the process for voters, with a summary, a What Your Vote Means box, and arguments pro and con.
So, forthwith, is my condensed version of this year's state propositions.
Prop. 59 - Amends the constitution to give the citizens more access to government information.
Pro: Makes government more transparent.
Con: Needed, but this bill doesn' t go far enough.
Gary: If the biggest argument against it is that it doesn't go far enough, that's all I need to hear.
My vote: YES
Prop 60 - The top vote-getter from each party in the primary election will advance to the ballot in the general election. This is the way things work already. So why are we voting on it? Because Prop 62 wants to change things, and if 60 gets more Yes votes than 62, it will win and the process will remain as it is.
Pro: Protects the party's right to place a candidate on the ballot.
Con: Current policy doesn't go far enough to give the voter choice - see Prop. 62.
Gary: I like the idea of opening the debate up, regardless of party.
My vote: NO
Prop 60A - Any proceeds from the sale of surplus public property be used to pay off the state's debt.
Pro: Could dramatically lower the cost of past bonds to taxpayers.
Con: Doesn't go far enough.
Gary: Con argument is lame.
My vote: YES
Prop 62 - Bond measure to build and expand childrens' hodpitals.
Pro: Gives thousands of seriously ill kids a chance at a future.
Con: They already have enough hospitals and we can't afford it.
Gary: Come on - hospitals for children.
My vote: YES
Prop 62 - For state and federal offices, only the two top vote-getters from the primary will advance to the general election ballot, regardless of party affiliation.
Pro: Expands voter choices, makes elected official more accountable.
Con: No other state has such a system. Louisiana used the system to help KKK member David Duke run for Governor. All kinds of Bad things could happen.
Gary: Louisiana? Among the signers of the Pro argument is Leon Panetta, Clinton's Chief of Staff. Among the Cons is the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and I can't remember ever agreeing with them on anything.
My vote: YES
Prop 63 - Imposes an additional 1% tax on personal income over $1 million to pay for expanding mental health services.
Pro: Untreated mental illness is costly and dangerous.
Con: Doesn't go far enough, serious problem needs a better plan.
Gary: Doesn't go far enough? Ever since Reagan, as governor, closed the state mental hospitals and dumped their patients onto the street, wandering, homeless mentally ill people have populated our streets. Show me the better paln and I'll vote for it.
My vote: YES
Prop 64 - Limits an individual's right to sue a business for unfair competition.
Pro: Stops "shadedown" lawsuits by requiring all such suits to be brought by the local prosecutor.
Con: The bill is supported by big businesses (banks, tobacco companies, insurance comapnies) who don't want to be sued.
Gary: There certainly are frivolous lawsuits, from which businesses need to be protected, but why gut a law (the Unfair Business Competition Law) that has done so much good for California?
My vote: NO
Prop 65 - This one appears, along with Prop 1A, in its own guide. Limits state ability to raid local government, school and community college finances.
Pro: Would stop state from balancing its budget by raiding local coffers.
Con: Would rob the state of budgeting flexibility.
BUT - Proponents have abandoned this poposal in favor of ---
Prop 1A - Also limits state ability to raid local coffers.
Pro: Create stability for funding local services.
Con: Gives local politicians a spending guarantee with no accountability.
Gary: Where I live, local government spdneing is pretty transparent, with plenty of oversight by watchdogs and the press.
My vote: YES
Prop 66 - Amends "Three Strikes" law so that the third striek must be for a serious or violent felony.
Pro: Brings severest punishment only for the really bad guys.
Con: Will flood our streets with thousands of dangerous felons.
Gary: I've always thought the "three strikes" law was unconstitutional, meting out life sentences to shoplifters. Among those against this proposition are the Howard Jarvis folks and Marc Klaas, father of Polly Klaas, a young girl who was abducted and murdered some years ago. Among those who support it are the ACLU and Joe Klaas, Marc's father.
My vote: YES
Prop 67 - Adds a 3% surcharge on telephone usage to help fund emergency medical services.
Pro: Population increases, ERs are overcrowded, care is deteriorating.
Con: This is a tax increase.
Gary: The Vote No proponents are bankrolled by phone companies.
My vote: YES
Prop 68 - Requires Indian tribes to pay 25% of their slot machine revenue to the state within 90 days, or else local race trakcs will be allowed to put in their own slot machines.
Pro: If casinos don't pay their fair share, they don't deserve to have a monopoly on gaming.
Con: This is really an effort to get Nevada-style casinos run by non-Indians.
Gary: If we have to have casinos, let the Indians do it.
My vote: NO
Prop 69 - Establishes a DNA database gathered from felons.
Pro: DNA identifies the criminals and protects the innocent.
Con: It's too expensive and it will gather the DNA of innocent people.
Gary: Privacy safeguards are built in. Among opponents is Bob Barr.
My vote: YES
Prop 70 - 99-year compact to give tribes a monopoly on gaming in exchange for conributing substantial tax to state.
Pro: Tribal casinos want to be able to have unlimited expansion and gaming on their property and to pay their fair share of taxes, but not compete with non-Indian casinos.
Con: The governor wants to pursue ongoing agreements with tribes and not be locked into anything.
Gary: I'm all for the Indians getting back the rights stolen from them, but this seems a little broad.
My vote: NO
Prop 71 - Provides for an institute to regulate and study stem cell research.
Pro: Stems the exit of scientists to more supportive countries; researches promising avenues of curing disease; contains strict ethical and financial controls.
Con: Benefits venture capitalists, no accountability, Bad Medicine.
Gary: The national ban should really be lifted, and when it is this bill may not be needed. But until then, let California take a stand.
My vote: YES
Prop 72 - Requires health care coverage for employees of large and medium employers and that employers pay at least 80%.
Pro: Will limit what employers have to pay for employees health insurance. Applies only to companies with more than 50 employees.
Con: You could be forced out of your current plan and into a government run system!
Gary: Clearly, health care and its costs desperately need help.
My vote: YES
4:26:48 PM 
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