Mike Zapler, San Jose Mercury News, Sacramento Bureau
SACRAMENTO - Barack Obama and John McCain may grab most of the headlines, but California voters will have a lot more to chew on than the presidential race this political season.
Eleven propositions have now made the Nov. 4 ballot, on issues ranging from same-sex marriage and abortion to alternative energy to the treatment of farm animals.
As of the secretary of state's announcement last week, it is now too late for more citizen initiatives - which constitute all but one of the measures to date. But the Legislature may add more measures before all is said and done.
"There's something for everyone," said San Jose State University political science Professor Larry Gerston.
Several of the measures seek big dollars for ambitious new projects - a potentially tough sell in the midst of the economic slowdown. Voters will be asked to authorize nearly $10 billion in borrowing to help pay for a high-speed train (Proposition 1, placed on the ballot by the Legislature) that would shuttle people from San Francisco to Los Angeles in under three hours. A $5 billion bond initiative (Proposition 10) would provide subsidies to people who buy alternative- and clean-fuel cars, as well as grants for renewable energy research. Proposition 3 seeks approval for a nearly $1 billion bond for children's hospitals.
Highly informative.
Thank you!
No on all bond measures. No to borrowing more and more money.
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1. Yes
2. Yes
3. No
4. Yes
5. No
6. Yes
7. No
8. YES
9. Yes
10. No
11. Yes
Prop. 2: More crud from the “animals are people too” crowd. Sadly, it may very well pass (anyone remember the Mr. Ed initiative?).
Prop. 3: Yet more bonds that are “for the children.” May pass based on that...
Prop. 4: Good idea, but won't pass.
Prop. 5: Will probably pass. Californians tend to be more libertarian in this regard.
Prop. 6: Will likely pass and, like most things the government does, will probably not do a whole lotta good.
Prop. 7: And people wonder why the cost of living in California is so high???
Prop. 8: I fear that five months of legal gay marriage, enough people who would have supported this will vote against it because they won't see an immediate reason to take away what other people are currently enjoying being able to do. And if this DOES fail, then it will be by a vote of the people...and all the arguments regarding judicial usurpation or legislative shenanigans will be moot.
Prop. 9: Will probably pass.
Prop. 10: Yet another bond measure...aack! Hopefully this one won't pass.
Prop. 11: May be the only thing protecting the GOP from being redistricted into oblivion for decades in California.
I wished we had Prop. 4 in 1988.
Yikes! Looks like I’m gonna be a lot poorer in ‘09 if some of these pass.
Thanks, CCC. Good thread.
Hiram Johnson’s legacy continues (What a bunch of garbage!)
YES on 4 and 8 — looks like a big ‘NO’ on the rest
(although I want to read the details of each before deciding for sure.)