◼ IBD Editorial - (Prop.32) would bar unions and corporations from making contributions to candidates for public office and from collecting cash for political activities through payroll deductions.
That payroll provision is key, because it would end the unions' preferred method of gathering funds. (Businesses use payroll deductions much less.)
Unions would no longer be able to collect the funds on autopilot from their members and, instead, would have to ask for donations. More than a few members might stop and think: "Maybe I can spend that money on dinner out or to pay the gas bill."
Showing posts with label Stop Special Interest Money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stop Special Interest Money. Show all posts
Friday, October 19, 2012
Saturday, October 6, 2012
CFRW VOTING GUIDE: California Propositions
Each Week, CFRW reviews one of the Propositions on the ballot. Here's the current recap, with the final chart.
PROPOSITION 30: NO!
The California Federation of Republican Women is recommending a NO vote on Prop 30.
Proposition 30 is Governor Brown’s bully budgeting tactics. Governor Brown wants to raise our state’s sales tax to 7.5%, a 3.45% increase. Governor Brown also wants to raise income taxes on the highest earners, creating three new tax brackets for those making over $250,000, $300,000 and $500,000.
The Governor claims that the revenues from Prop 30 will exceed $9 billion while the non-partisan Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) believes that only $6.8 billion will be collected. What Governor Brown asserts is that the revenue collected from these tax increases will be used to balance the budget for education funding. Again, the LAO thinks otherwise. The revenue will go to the budget, but not necessarily to education or even to other programs that received cuts. The Legislature will be able to allocate this revenue however they see fit. And as we’ve seen with the passage of High Speed Rail funding, the Parks Department hiding reserve cash and the mismanagement of funds, the Legislature does not have the best track record for responsible budgeting.
Governor Brown has threatened to make more cuts to education if Prop 30 does not pass, yet does not clearly explain how the revenue from Prop 30 will benefit students or schools in any way.
Instead, the Governor signs over $5 billion for High Speed Rail!
The California School Boards Association said in May that Prop 30 does nothing for schools, yet Prop 30 is strongly supported by the California Teacher’s Union, California Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Teachers among others. That the Teacher’s Unions are supporting this proposition is very telling.
Of the two “taxes for education” measures on the ballot, Prop 38 is a much more beneficial measure for California schools. Prop 30 does nothing to secure funding for education while Prop 38 ensures it.
Governor Brown and the unions are in bed together, and their illegitimate relationship is costing California! Remember to VOTE NO on Prop 30!
__________________
Prop 31 Reconsideration: NO!
The CFRW Voting Body has reconsidered our official CFRW position on Proposition 31. After reevaluating, our Voting Body decided to change our official position from “No position” to “OPPOSE.” The reality with Prop 31 is that there are good aspects to the prop, but there are really terrible aspects as well.
And we believe that the bad aspects outweigh the good. While Prop 31 has merits- It establishes a two year budget cycle. It requires the legislature to have ALL bills in print for 72 hours before a vote. There is a “pay-go” of $25 million, meaning that the legislature cannot create expenditures of $25 million or more unless an offsetting revenue source or spending cut is identified. But even the merits of Prop 31 would create a problem with the current California Legislature. A “pay-go” system only works with a responsible legislature. In California this could create programs costing $24.9 million, or fudging numbers on spending cuts, or projected revenue for the pay-go falling short. Prop 31 also calls for performance reviews for all state agencies. While this may be very necessary for California, this will create a large bureaucracy in order to over-see this large undertaking. Prop 31 would allow the Governor to cut unilaterally in a declared fiscal emergency if the legislature fails to act. This may seem like a good idea, but it gives the governor far too much power. The proposition also allows local governments to create “Community Strategic Action Plans”, allowing them to override state law or regulations and tailor them to their local needs. It would also allow localities to “tax share” and pool their tax receipts from local governments. This will create litigation galore and won’t actually help local government govern successfully. Worst of all, this is a constitutional amendment, and in California, ballot box budgeting written into our constitution has historically done more harm than good. Prop 98 (K-12 education funding) is a perfect example. California does not need another bad constitutional amendment. Prop 31 is over 8,000 words of convoluting constitutional changes and unnecessary regional governance. The CFRW OPPOSES PROP 31.
__________________
Prop 32: YES!
This proposition is perhaps the most important on the November ballot. If this passes, it will change the political game here in California. But first, some background information on Prop 32. Last October in a sneaky legislative move, Governor Brown signed SB 202 (Hancock, D). SB 202 mandates propositions will only appear on the general election ballot, no longer on both the primary and general ballots. This changed a 50-year tradition in the state that began in 1960. We speculate that Brown and the Democrats who sponsored SB 202 were prompted to act because of the Paycheck Protection Initiative, which is now this proposition. The Democrats feared that it would earn a spot on the June 5, 2012 primary ballot. They know that more Republicans vote in primary elections than Democrats. The Democrat union machine can get out the vote in general elections. But even with their trickery, this bill still has an excellent chance of passing. Prop 32 will ban both corporate and union contributions to state and local candidates, ban contributions by government contractors to the politicians who control contracts awarded to them and ban automatic deductions by corporations, unions and government employees’ wages to be used for politics. Union members will still be able to give to political candidates and campaigns, but they will have to do so voluntarily, yearly, in writing. Simply put, unions will no longer be able to use their members’ money for political purposes unless the individual member allows it. As we saw in Wisconsin, once union members had this choice, many of them opted out of contributing. Large unions in California, such as the California Teacher’s Association (CTA), will not have the political power they do now if Prop 32 passes.
Please spread the word! We must work to pass Prop 32! We can defeat the powerful unions here in California! ◼ Click HERE to read an article by CRP Chair Tom Del Beccaro featured in National Review Online.
__________________
Prop 33: YES!
The CFRW supports Prop 33. It corrects a flaw in a previous auto insurance coverage proposition, where if there was a lapse in coverage, for any reason, the insurance company could increase their prices. With this prop, a Californian would still be eligible for the “continuous coverage” discount if a lapse in coverage was for military service, for a loss of employment, or if the lapse was less than 90 days. This proposition would allow for more Californians to qualify for the “continuous coverage” discount for costly auto insurance. Prop 33 is short and to the point. For these reasons, the CFRW SUPPORTS Prop 33. Be sure to read the Capitol Update each week for in-depth analysis of each of the propositions.
__________________
Prop 34: NO! 
The CFRW OPPOSES Prop 34which would eliminate the death penalty. There have been 13 people executed in California since 1978. There are currently 725 inmates on death row. The voters have approved the death penalty, so why aren’t we using it? There are costs associated with repealing the death penalty that the supporters of Prop 34 did not consider, and those costs are dangerous. If Prop 34 passes, the status of 725 death row inmates would become prisoners with life without parole (or LWOP) and integrated into the general LWOP prison community. This would create a very dangerous environment in our prisons, for our prison guards, wardens, and other prisoners. The people on death row are not your common criminal. Gangs form in prisons and their crimes do not stop just because they are off the streets. Californians will be paying for these prisoner’s lifetime housing and health benefits while they continue their crime sprees. There are also many studies that find the death penalty actually deters murders, such as a study done at the University of Colorado by Professor Mocan. Also, the threat of the death penalty is a very powerful tool for our state’s District Attorneys, especially in solving murders and finding victims’ bodies. The system needs fixing, but this is not the solution. NO on PROP 34
__________________
Prop 35: YES!
The California Federation of Republican Women SUPPORTS Prop 35 which would increase penalties for human trafficking. Prop 35 would increase prison terms for those convicted for human trafficking, would require those convicted of human trafficking crimes to be put on the registered sex offenders list as well as require that all registered sex offenders disclose their internet accounts and activity. Why hasn’t California been requiring this all along? California has three cities that the FBI cites as “high intensity” for child sex trafficking- San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Other California cities are just as dangerous such as Fresno and Stockton. Prop 35 would help train law enforcement officers specifically on handling human trafficking cases and protect women and children from this most heinous exploitation. We SUPPORT Prop 35!
__________________
Prop 36: NO!
The California Federation of Republican Women OPPOSE Prop 36! Proposition 36 would revise the current Three Strikes law and would allow current convicted felons serving 25-life under Three Strikes to petition for a reduced sentence. The Three Strikes law was passed in 1994 and shortly after its passage crime in California dropped and has remained at those lower levels. Violent crimes have decreased by 18% and homicide decreased by 31% since Three Strikes' inception. Prop 36 would modify the three strikes law to impose life sentence only when the new felony conviction is "serious or violent". It authorize re-sentencing for offenders currently serving life sentences if their third strike conviction was not "serious" or "violent" and if the judge determines that the re-sentence does not pose "unreasonable" risk to public safety. It would continue to impose a life sentence penalty if the third strike conviction was for "certain non-serious, non-violent sex or drug offenses or involved firearm possession" and maintain the life sentence penalty for felons with "non-serious, non-violent third strike if prior convictions were for rape, murder, or child molestation." Proponents of Prop 36 say that this would “make room for dangerous felons,” but the truth is only 6.6% of all prisoners in California are these “third strikers.” If Prop 36 passes, it would allow 4,388 “third strikers” petition the courts for a resentencing and some of these criminals could be released “without any parole or supervision.” These are criminals so dangerous they are serving 25 to life sentences as charged by a District Attorney, as convicted by a jury, as imposed by a judge, and whose legal appeals have been denied. Prop 36 would allow these same criminals ask a new judge for a reduced sentence or to be set free, some without any parole or supervision! Prop 36 is opposed by every major law enforcement organization and the California District Attorneys Association. Prop 36 is dangerous and needs to be defeated!
__________________
Prop 37: NO!
Prop 37 is another misleading initiative, written to intentionally confuse the voters. Prop 37 is billed as “the right to know”, but with all the exemptions written into the proposition, the consumer will still have no idea if the food they are purchasing is free of genetically engineered foods or not. Oddly, 2/3rds of the food consumed in California will be exempt under Prop 37. It requires labels for soy and tofu products, but milk, cheese and other dairy products are exempt. Fruit juice would require a label but alcohol that contains genetically engineered material would not. Why does pet food containing GE meat require a label but any meat for human consumption is exempt? Food sold in grocery stores requires GE labels but the same food sold in restaurants is exempt. The innumerable and complicated exceptions to the law severely undermine its credibility.
If this were truly a health or medical issue, Prop 37 would have been written by doctors or scientists. But Prop 37 was written by infamous trial lawyer James Wheaton, who stands to make massive amounts of money from lawsuits over theoretically “mislabeled” food. According to the non-partisan California Legislative Analyst Office, “in order to bring such an action (lawsuit) forward, the consumer would not be required to demonstrate any specific damage from the alleged violation.” This means that farmers, grocers, and food companies can be sued without any proof of harm to the “victims”! Yet that lack of provable damages would do nothing to slow the money flowing into the pockets of trial lawyers, away from already strained businesses and farmers.
On the other hand, foods with demonstrably fewer safety regulations from foreign counties would have no burden of proof that they are GE free; they simply have to slap a label on their products that announce as such. Why would we make ourselves additionally susceptible to inferior food, when reputable, leading health organizations across the nation have said that the use of this biotechnology is perfectly safe? Only food grown and sold in California would be held to this standard of labeling, which will drive up our food costs and be harmful for our hard working farmers and grocers. We already have many consumer safeguards in place. All “certified organic” food must already be produced without genetic altering. There are also some companies already labeling- without government mandates- that their food is GE free. Prop 37 is entirely unnecessary in the current marketplace.
Prop 37 is deceptive, but don’t take our word for it. The American Medical Association, the US Food and Drug Administration, and even the World Health Organization have all come to the conclusion that at this point in time, there is no scientific justification for special labeling of bioengineered food. Other reliable news sources and organizations say so as well: the San Francisco Chronicle, The Los Angeles Times, the Sacramento Bee, The Woodland Democrat, the San Jose Mercury News, as well as the American Council of Science and Health, and the California Chamber of Commerce all agree: Vote NO on Prop 37!
__________________
Prop 38: NO!
Prop 38 is the tax increase initiative that is in direct competition with Governor Brown’s Prop 30. Prop 38 increases personal income tax rates on annual earnings over $7,316 using sliding scale from .4% for lowest individual earners to 2.2% for individuals earning over $2.5 million, for twelve years. During first four years, it allocates 60% of revenues to K–12 schools, 30% to repaying state debt, and 10% to early childhood programs. Thereafter, it allocates 85% of revenues to K–12 schools, 15% to early childhood programs. Prop 38 provides K–12 funds on school-specific, per-pupil basis, subject to local control, audits, and public input and prohibits state from directing new funds. If the CTA and other teachers unions truly cared about their students and schools, then Prop 38 would be the tax increase to support. But their motives are very transparent by supporting Prop 30; it is clear they are “in bed” with Governor Brown. The good news for taxpayers is that the more tax increases there are on a ballot, the less likely it is that any of them pass.
Here is what happens in the unlikely case that both Props 30 and 38 pass. Our state constitution says that if two or more ballot measures conflict, as these two do, the measure that has the most “yes” votes is the one that will go into effect. Prop 30’s language states that if it receives more “yes” votes, then Prop 38 will not go into effect. Prop 38’s language states that if it receives more “yes” votes, then Prop 30 will not go into effect and Governor Brown’s $6 billion trigger cuts to education will take place. Let’s make sure both of these unnecessary tax increases fail!
__________________
CFRW Official Ballot Positions and Talking Points!
◼ Prop 30 - NO
◼ Prop 31 - NO
◼ Prop 32 - YES
◼ Prop 33 - YES
◼ Prop 34 - NO
◼ Prop 35 - YES
◼ Prop 36 - NO
◼ Prop 37 - NO
◼ Prop 38 - NO
◼ Prop 39 - NO
◼ Prop 40 YES
For all the props and their talking points on one PDF document, ◼ CLICK HERE.
The California Federation of Republican Women is recommending a NO vote on Prop 30.
The Governor claims that the revenues from Prop 30 will exceed $9 billion while the non-partisan Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) believes that only $6.8 billion will be collected. What Governor Brown asserts is that the revenue collected from these tax increases will be used to balance the budget for education funding. Again, the LAO thinks otherwise. The revenue will go to the budget, but not necessarily to education or even to other programs that received cuts. The Legislature will be able to allocate this revenue however they see fit. And as we’ve seen with the passage of High Speed Rail funding, the Parks Department hiding reserve cash and the mismanagement of funds, the Legislature does not have the best track record for responsible budgeting.
Governor Brown has threatened to make more cuts to education if Prop 30 does not pass, yet does not clearly explain how the revenue from Prop 30 will benefit students or schools in any way.
Instead, the Governor signs over $5 billion for High Speed Rail!
The California School Boards Association said in May that Prop 30 does nothing for schools, yet Prop 30 is strongly supported by the California Teacher’s Union, California Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Teachers among others. That the Teacher’s Unions are supporting this proposition is very telling.
Of the two “taxes for education” measures on the ballot, Prop 38 is a much more beneficial measure for California schools. Prop 30 does nothing to secure funding for education while Prop 38 ensures it.
Governor Brown and the unions are in bed together, and their illegitimate relationship is costing California! Remember to VOTE NO on Prop 30!
And we believe that the bad aspects outweigh the good. While Prop 31 has merits- It establishes a two year budget cycle. It requires the legislature to have ALL bills in print for 72 hours before a vote. There is a “pay-go” of $25 million, meaning that the legislature cannot create expenditures of $25 million or more unless an offsetting revenue source or spending cut is identified. But even the merits of Prop 31 would create a problem with the current California Legislature. A “pay-go” system only works with a responsible legislature. In California this could create programs costing $24.9 million, or fudging numbers on spending cuts, or projected revenue for the pay-go falling short. Prop 31 also calls for performance reviews for all state agencies. While this may be very necessary for California, this will create a large bureaucracy in order to over-see this large undertaking. Prop 31 would allow the Governor to cut unilaterally in a declared fiscal emergency if the legislature fails to act. This may seem like a good idea, but it gives the governor far too much power. The proposition also allows local governments to create “Community Strategic Action Plans”, allowing them to override state law or regulations and tailor them to their local needs. It would also allow localities to “tax share” and pool their tax receipts from local governments. This will create litigation galore and won’t actually help local government govern successfully. Worst of all, this is a constitutional amendment, and in California, ballot box budgeting written into our constitution has historically done more harm than good. Prop 98 (K-12 education funding) is a perfect example. California does not need another bad constitutional amendment. Prop 31 is over 8,000 words of convoluting constitutional changes and unnecessary regional governance. The CFRW OPPOSES PROP 31.
This proposition is perhaps the most important on the November ballot. If this passes, it will change the political game here in California. But first, some background information on Prop 32. Last October in a sneaky legislative move, Governor Brown signed SB 202 (Hancock, D). SB 202 mandates propositions will only appear on the general election ballot, no longer on both the primary and general ballots. This changed a 50-year tradition in the state that began in 1960. We speculate that Brown and the Democrats who sponsored SB 202 were prompted to act because of the Paycheck Protection Initiative, which is now this proposition. The Democrats feared that it would earn a spot on the June 5, 2012 primary ballot. They know that more Republicans vote in primary elections than Democrats. The Democrat union machine can get out the vote in general elections. But even with their trickery, this bill still has an excellent chance of passing. Prop 32 will ban both corporate and union contributions to state and local candidates, ban contributions by government contractors to the politicians who control contracts awarded to them and ban automatic deductions by corporations, unions and government employees’ wages to be used for politics. Union members will still be able to give to political candidates and campaigns, but they will have to do so voluntarily, yearly, in writing. Simply put, unions will no longer be able to use their members’ money for political purposes unless the individual member allows it. As we saw in Wisconsin, once union members had this choice, many of them opted out of contributing. Large unions in California, such as the California Teacher’s Association (CTA), will not have the political power they do now if Prop 32 passes.
Please spread the word! We must work to pass Prop 32! We can defeat the powerful unions here in California! ◼ Click HERE to read an article by CRP Chair Tom Del Beccaro featured in National Review Online.
If this were truly a health or medical issue, Prop 37 would have been written by doctors or scientists. But Prop 37 was written by infamous trial lawyer James Wheaton, who stands to make massive amounts of money from lawsuits over theoretically “mislabeled” food. According to the non-partisan California Legislative Analyst Office, “in order to bring such an action (lawsuit) forward, the consumer would not be required to demonstrate any specific damage from the alleged violation.” This means that farmers, grocers, and food companies can be sued without any proof of harm to the “victims”! Yet that lack of provable damages would do nothing to slow the money flowing into the pockets of trial lawyers, away from already strained businesses and farmers.
On the other hand, foods with demonstrably fewer safety regulations from foreign counties would have no burden of proof that they are GE free; they simply have to slap a label on their products that announce as such. Why would we make ourselves additionally susceptible to inferior food, when reputable, leading health organizations across the nation have said that the use of this biotechnology is perfectly safe? Only food grown and sold in California would be held to this standard of labeling, which will drive up our food costs and be harmful for our hard working farmers and grocers. We already have many consumer safeguards in place. All “certified organic” food must already be produced without genetic altering. There are also some companies already labeling- without government mandates- that their food is GE free. Prop 37 is entirely unnecessary in the current marketplace.
Prop 37 is deceptive, but don’t take our word for it. The American Medical Association, the US Food and Drug Administration, and even the World Health Organization have all come to the conclusion that at this point in time, there is no scientific justification for special labeling of bioengineered food. Other reliable news sources and organizations say so as well: the San Francisco Chronicle, The Los Angeles Times, the Sacramento Bee, The Woodland Democrat, the San Jose Mercury News, as well as the American Council of Science and Health, and the California Chamber of Commerce all agree: Vote NO on Prop 37!
Here is what happens in the unlikely case that both Props 30 and 38 pass. Our state constitution says that if two or more ballot measures conflict, as these two do, the measure that has the most “yes” votes is the one that will go into effect. Prop 30’s language states that if it receives more “yes” votes, then Prop 38 will not go into effect. Prop 38’s language states that if it receives more “yes” votes, then Prop 30 will not go into effect and Governor Brown’s $6 billion trigger cuts to education will take place. Let’s make sure both of these unnecessary tax increases fail!
CFRW Official Ballot Positions and Talking Points!
◼ Prop 30 - NO
◼ Prop 31 - NO
◼ Prop 32 - YES
◼ Prop 33 - YES
◼ Prop 34 - NO
◼ Prop 35 - YES
◼ Prop 36 - NO
◼ Prop 37 - NO
◼ Prop 38 - NO
◼ Prop 39 - NO
◼ Prop 40 YES
For all the props and their talking points on one PDF document, ◼ CLICK HERE.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Who's against Prop. 32? The state's teachers union has given the opposition nearly $18 million of its members' dues. The largest union for state workers has given nearly $6 million. State, county and city employee unions have given nearly $3 million more. And other unions make up almost all the rest of the No on 32 funding.
◼ The truth about Prop. 32 - Gloria Romero/Orange County Register
Please note that these millions are being spent not because rank-and-file members have chosen to fight the proposition; rather, these millions are being spent by the unions' executive boards in Sacramento, without ever having to win the consent of the members. The "leaders" decide – the workers pay.
All those millions are funding television and radio ads that say Prop. 32 "isn't what it seems" and that it isn't "balanced" because there are "special exemptions" for its supporters.
Prop. 32 is exactly what it says it is.
Here's what the measure does, according to the official secretary of state-prepared ballot statement:
Opponents argue that it isn't "balanced" because unions automatically deduct more money from paychecks than do corporations. But what is unbalanced about allowing workers to decide how to spend their own money on political causes and candidates? All workers will still have a voice, but they will now be able to make their own choices on which politicians to give to.
What they're (The Unions) really afraid of is what will happen when their own members and employees actually have the real power to spend their own money on the political causes and candidates in which they believe.
_______________ The California Republican Party and California Federation of Republican Women (CFRW) recommend a YES vote on Prop. 32. VOTE Tuesday, November 6th.
Please note that these millions are being spent not because rank-and-file members have chosen to fight the proposition; rather, these millions are being spent by the unions' executive boards in Sacramento, without ever having to win the consent of the members. The "leaders" decide – the workers pay.
All those millions are funding television and radio ads that say Prop. 32 "isn't what it seems" and that it isn't "balanced" because there are "special exemptions" for its supporters.
Prop. 32 is exactly what it says it is.
Here's what the measure does, according to the official secretary of state-prepared ballot statement:
◼ "Prohibits unions from using payroll-deducted funds for political purposes. Applies same use prohibition to payroll deductions, if any, by corporations or government contractors."Workers can still contribute to political campaigns – but unions and employers can't automatically deduct money from paychecks for politics.
Opponents argue that it isn't "balanced" because unions automatically deduct more money from paychecks than do corporations. But what is unbalanced about allowing workers to decide how to spend their own money on political causes and candidates? All workers will still have a voice, but they will now be able to make their own choices on which politicians to give to.
◼ "Prohibits union and corporate contributions to candidates and their committees."In plain language, Prop. 32 cuts the money link between special interests and lawmakers and forces politicians to raise money from individual citizens....
What they're (The Unions) really afraid of is what will happen when their own members and employees actually have the real power to spend their own money on the political causes and candidates in which they believe.
Labels:
California,
Prop 32,
Reform,
Stop Special Interest Money,
Tom Del Beccaro,
Unions
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
Frustrated Californians Turn to Prop 32: Stop Special Interest Money
◼ The Golden State could make the most noise on Election Day. - Tom Del Beccaro/National Review
California hasn’t been “in play” during a presidential race in years. Normally, California plays the role of the lead investor — i.e., the ATM — in presidential politics. This year, however, California is set to eclipse Wisconsin on the national Richter scale of political tremors.
On the November ballot is Proposition 32 — an initiative that would ban direct giving to candidates by corporations and unions and provide paycheck protection to public-employee-union members. It would require public unions to ask permission, every year, of each union member prior to making deductions from employee paychecks for the benefit of union political-action committees (PACs).
Between Prop 32, the dozen congressional seats that are up for grabs, and a huge tax increase that’s also on the ballot, California is truly a battleground state this year. Read the rest, at the link...
__________________
@TakeBackCA @tomdelbeccaro #StopSpecialInterestMoney @CAGOP
California hasn’t been “in play” during a presidential race in years. Normally, California plays the role of the lead investor — i.e., the ATM — in presidential politics. This year, however, California is set to eclipse Wisconsin on the national Richter scale of political tremors.
On the November ballot is Proposition 32 — an initiative that would ban direct giving to candidates by corporations and unions and provide paycheck protection to public-employee-union members. It would require public unions to ask permission, every year, of each union member prior to making deductions from employee paychecks for the benefit of union political-action committees (PACs).
Between Prop 32, the dozen congressional seats that are up for grabs, and a huge tax increase that’s also on the ballot, California is truly a battleground state this year. Read the rest, at the link...
@TakeBackCA @tomdelbeccaro #StopSpecialInterestMoney @CAGOP
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Proposition 32, on the ballot in November, would curb union power.
◼ Leftists attack Prop. 32 campaign reform - CalWatchDog
Not surprisingly, the major leftist organizations in the state oppose it, beginning with Common Cause and the supposedly unbiased League of Women Voters.
“I’m all for campaign finance reform,” said Derek Cressman, western regional director for Common Cause. “I’ve spent the last 15 years of my life working for campaign finance reform. I know campaign finance reform, and, friends, Prop. 32 is not campaign finance reform.”
But without this reform, the state really will go bankrupt — if it hasn’t already — because of union looting.
...So it’s going to be tough the get this reform passed. A similar reform, Proposition 75, was on the ballot in 2005 as one of four initiatives on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s reform platform in that year’s November Special Election. The whole reform plank was badly conceived. And Schwarzenegger gave it his usual half-hearted attempt. He only ever campaigned hard for himself. After his reform plank was defeated, Schwarzenegger turned sharply to the left, passing massive new regulations, such as AB 32 and tax increases, that left the state in ruins similar to those on that island at the end of his movie “Commando.”
But the joke is on the unions, unCommon Cause, the League of Liberal Women Voters and their leftist cohorts. There’s no more money. Business and jobs are fleeing the state. California is going to have to cut union pay, perks and pensions — no matter what.
When you strangle the goose it no longer lays Golden State eggs.
Not surprisingly, the major leftist organizations in the state oppose it, beginning with Common Cause and the supposedly unbiased League of Women Voters.
“I’m all for campaign finance reform,” said Derek Cressman, western regional director for Common Cause. “I’ve spent the last 15 years of my life working for campaign finance reform. I know campaign finance reform, and, friends, Prop. 32 is not campaign finance reform.”
But without this reform, the state really will go bankrupt — if it hasn’t already — because of union looting.
...So it’s going to be tough the get this reform passed. A similar reform, Proposition 75, was on the ballot in 2005 as one of four initiatives on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s reform platform in that year’s November Special Election. The whole reform plank was badly conceived. And Schwarzenegger gave it his usual half-hearted attempt. He only ever campaigned hard for himself. After his reform plank was defeated, Schwarzenegger turned sharply to the left, passing massive new regulations, such as AB 32 and tax increases, that left the state in ruins similar to those on that island at the end of his movie “Commando.”
But the joke is on the unions, unCommon Cause, the League of Liberal Women Voters and their leftist cohorts. There’s no more money. Business and jobs are fleeing the state. California is going to have to cut union pay, perks and pensions — no matter what.
When you strangle the goose it no longer lays Golden State eggs.
Labels:
Budget,
California,
Prop 32,
Reform,
Stop Special Interest Money,
Unions
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Could California Go the Scott Walker Way?
◼ When it comes to stopping systemic reform, the California affiliates of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers will spend as much money as they can to do so.
Nine years ago, the two unions spent profligately to defeat a school choice initiative. Two years later in 2005, the two unions spent millions — including $58 million from the NEA branch alone — to defeat then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ballot initiative to increase the number of years newly-hired teachers gained near-lifetime employment from two years to five, and other initiatives aimed at reducing state spending. In the process, the NEA and AFT helped their public sector union allies weaken Schwarzenegger’s efforts to overhaul the state’s byzantine government structure and fix its woeful fiscal condition.
...the two unions have gotten their way on nearly every educational issue — including the passage of a law last year that bans districts from laying off teachers at the expense of fewer days in school for children in need of more time in classrooms, and Brown’s decision to cancel funding for the CalTIDES teacher data system (effectively ending efforts to overhaul teacher evaluations).
But now, the NEA and AFT find themselves on the defensive where it counts: The millions in union dues it collects annually from rank-and-file members (including teachers forced to pay so-called agency fees despite not being interested in union membership). Thanks to Sacramento-based election lawyer and ballot mastermind Tom Hiltachk, the two unions (along with other public sector unions such as the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees) must now deal with Proposition 32, a campaign finance law that would stop them from using member dues for financing ballot and political campaigns. Taking a page out of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s successful passage of the collective bargaining ban, which also put an end to the NEA and AFT forcing teachers and others to pay dues to them, Prop. 32 would only allow the two unions to collect campaign cash from members and those teachers who aren’t members but are generally supportive of their defense of traditional public education policies and practices.
Nine years ago, the two unions spent profligately to defeat a school choice initiative. Two years later in 2005, the two unions spent millions — including $58 million from the NEA branch alone — to defeat then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ballot initiative to increase the number of years newly-hired teachers gained near-lifetime employment from two years to five, and other initiatives aimed at reducing state spending. In the process, the NEA and AFT helped their public sector union allies weaken Schwarzenegger’s efforts to overhaul the state’s byzantine government structure and fix its woeful fiscal condition.
...the two unions have gotten their way on nearly every educational issue — including the passage of a law last year that bans districts from laying off teachers at the expense of fewer days in school for children in need of more time in classrooms, and Brown’s decision to cancel funding for the CalTIDES teacher data system (effectively ending efforts to overhaul teacher evaluations).
But now, the NEA and AFT find themselves on the defensive where it counts: The millions in union dues it collects annually from rank-and-file members (including teachers forced to pay so-called agency fees despite not being interested in union membership). Thanks to Sacramento-based election lawyer and ballot mastermind Tom Hiltachk, the two unions (along with other public sector unions such as the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees) must now deal with Proposition 32, a campaign finance law that would stop them from using member dues for financing ballot and political campaigns. Taking a page out of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s successful passage of the collective bargaining ban, which also put an end to the NEA and AFT forcing teachers and others to pay dues to them, Prop. 32 would only allow the two unions to collect campaign cash from members and those teachers who aren’t members but are generally supportive of their defense of traditional public education policies and practices.
Labels:
California,
Campaign Finance,
Prop 32,
Reform,
Stop Special Interest Money,
Unions
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