Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2000. (The Villaraigosa-Keeley Act)
	Argument Against Proposition 12

Arguments on this page are the opinions of the authors and have not been checked for accuracy by any official agency.

THE NAME OF THIS BOND IS A HUGE DECEPTION-- ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE $2,100,000,000 WILL BE SPENT ON NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS!

The sponsors of this proposition would like you to believe that the bond proceeds will be used to fund neighborhood parks and playgrounds, to enhance your community and your family's quality of life. But in fact, only a small fraction of the money has been specifically allocated for local city and county parks and playgrounds, and less than one-percent will be spent on soccer and baseball fields! So where will the rest of the money go?

The government will use the vast majority of the money to buy more land for insects, rats and weeds. In short, this bond will not benefit your family. Your children will never get to set foot on the land that this bond will purchase, even though they will have to work throughout their adult lives to pay off the bond's debt.

What's wrong with the government using this money to buy more land?

First, there is no shortage of "park" space in California, since more than half of all the land in this state is already owned by the state and federal governments. Most of that land is in remote areas, where you and your family can't enjoy it.

Second, once government buys new land with bond funds, it will have to spend additional taxpayer dollars to manage its new property. Expect to see your taxes go up if this bond passes.

Third, do you remember the raging forest fires that blanketed California with smoke last Fall? Most of the smoke came from fires on government-owned land, where dead and diseased trees were left to rot. If this bond passes, even more land will be owned and neglected by the government, and left to provide kindling for the next round of forest fire infernos.

Fourth, bond measures are among the most expensive and wasteful financing schemes ever devised. According to the Secretary of State, taxpayers must pay back $1.78 for every $1 of bond proceeds, because of fees paid to lawyers and bankers and the effect of compounded interest. THIS MEANS THAT CALIFORNIA'S TAXPAYERS WILL ULTIMATELY HAVE TO SPEND $3,738,000,000 TO REPAY THIS $2,100,000,000 BOND!

Fifth, Californians are already on the hook for $36,900,000,000 for bonds previously approved for other projects. California is now so far in debt that Standard & Poor's has assigned our state the third worst credit rating of any state in the country!

Sixth, the State Legislature determined that these projects were NOT sufficiently important to fund, NOT EVEN WITH THE $12,000,000,000 IN SURPLUS FUNDS THE STATE HAS REALIZED OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.

No schools, no roads, nothing for you and me--just more dirt for insects, rats and weeds. This money is literally being flushed down a rat hole.

Vote NO on Proposition 12!

RAY HAYNES
California Senator

BRETT GRANLUND
California Assemblyman

LEWIS K. UHLER
President, The National Tax-Limitation Committee

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