This one is for the California readers. (For you non-Californians*, please see the bottom of this post for an overly simplistic and very opinionated overview about our wacky election process.)
Confused by the latest crop of statewide initiatives on the ballot? No problem. The Women’s Foundation of California has just released their voter guide. You can download it here.
Their recommendations reflect a commitment to supporting the well-being of women, families, immigrants, and communities of color in California.
Don’t let the ladies in this photo down. They fought for your right to vote!
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*A word about California’s initiative process
I’m originally from New York, so when I moved to California in 1994, I was baffled by elections here. California, like all the left-tern states (as you can see on this map), allows citizens to bypass the authority of their elected legislators. We can put issues directly on the ballot and then vote them into law. It’s fun!
It’s also expensive. Although not all ballot initiatives are bad, many well-funded and odious ideas have made it on our ballot, and been passed by the voters. (Full disclosure: I worked on a health reform initiative campaign in California many years ago.)
One of the most controversial ballot initiatives ever passed was the infamous Proposition 13 which, among other things, made it possible for homeowners to pay much, much lower property taxes than they should, (Full disclosure: I am a tax-paying homeowner), and made it very, very hard for the state legislature to raise taxes.
Prop 13 is widely recognized for ruining public education in California.
Before Prop 13, California schools were among the best in the nation. Today they rank at the bottom in student achievement (#48 last I read). Which is why the parents at my daughter’s school work tirelessly, year-round, raising money for art and sports and copier paper (!) and all the “extras” that are no longer part of the school budget.
Please, please be careful what you vote for. It might come true.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for this post, Katrina. Useful! As is your blog in general (and specific). Keep on keeping us informed.
that whole prop 13 thing is a mess, the problem with letting voters make laws is that most of us don’t have the time, many don’t have the sophistication to understand the ramifications of the rather dumbed down version of law that we are voting on. you guys should do like we do in Mass – Mass voters voted to reduce the income tax a few years ago (binding referendum), the legislature just ignored it, didn’t do it and doesn’t talk about it. things are crazy all over.
Thanks for the link to voter guide – very helpful. I move here from NY in 1998, and after the first election all I could wonder was what we paid our representatives for. I don’t want to vote on this crap. I have often said the only proposition I will support is the proposition to end propositions. It’s ridiculous.
Yep. I’ve come around to the same conclusion. And yet, we still need to vote, so hopefully someone we trust is analyzing the issues if we don’t have time (who does?) to do it ourselves.