California Special Election: Tuesday, May 19, 2009
 Tuesday, May 19, 2009 Official Voter Information Guide Official Voter Information Guide
PROPOSITION
1D
PROTECTS CHILDREN'S SERVICES FUNDING.
HELPS BALANCE STATE BUDGET.

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 1D
ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 1D


California children deserve our protection. The state of California has a long history of approving special dedicated funds for children's services. Given the state's current and ongoing budget challenges, we need to take extraordinary steps to once again protect services for children under the age of 5.

This measure is a common-sense solution to California's budget crisis while also protecting important services for children under the age of 5. It will redirect up to $340 million in reserves currently held by the state First 5 Commission and transfer $268 million annually for the next five years into programs such as child welfare services, early intervention and prevention services for infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities, adoption assistance, foster care, kinship guardianship assistance and direct health care services.

Proposition 1D is consistent with the original intent of voters when they passed Proposition 10 in November 1998. The original initiative added a $0.50 tax on tobacco products to promote, support and improve the early development of children under the age of 5. State and local First 5 commissions have used this money to fund important programs that benefit infants and toddlers, as well as their families. Unfortunately, in tough economic times, families suffer greater stress and larger numbers of children are seen in the child welfare and foster care system. Now, more than ever, the state must use all of its available resources to protect and sustain existing programs. This measure will ensure that children under the age of 5 continue to receive the services currently available to them.

Voting for this measure will not permanently shift these funds away from their original purpose. This solution will help solve California's current budget crisis and prevent further cuts in services to children under the age of 5. Please vote yes to help our state continue critical services to children under the age of 5.

ROBERT J. BALDO, Executive Director
Association of Regional Center Agencies


REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 1D


PROPOSITION 1D ELIMINATES FUNDING FOR OUR CHILDREN

Prop. 1D hurts children. It's a cynical scheme by Sacramento politicians to seize money from local health and education programs.

Who do you trust? The politicians who wrote the ballot description above or parents, teachers, doctors, nurses, and law enforcement officials who are voting no on Prop. 1D:

"Prop. 1D hurts children. It will cut effective preschool and early education programs that are key to children's long-term success in school."

— Professor Joe Kahne, Dean, School of Education, Mills College

"Prop. 1D will eliminate proven anti-smoking programs that keep families healthy and lower healthcare costs that burden every taxpayer."

— Albert Wang, M.D., Co-Chair, Friends of Children with Special Needs

"Prop. 1D cuts effective programs that start kids on the right track to keep them out of trouble. It will hurt kids and add to the strain on law enforcement and taxpayers."

— Sheriff Lee Baca, Los Angeles County

"As a PTA mom, I don't want to see $1.6 billion taken away from local programs and put in the hands of Sacramento bureaucrats."

— Lisa Greer, Past PTA President, Riverside Drive Elementary School

Prop. 1D violates the will of voters who twice approved local health, education, and anti-smoking programs. Prop. 1D replaces voter-mandated local control with Sacramento bureaucracy.

Now, in these tough times, common sense says the last thing our children and families need is cuts to local health and education programs and to lose more money to Sacramento politicians.

DELAINE EASTIN, Former California Superintendent of Schools

GEORGENE LOWE, R.N., Health Linkages Coordinator
Santa Barbara County

ELIZABETH HITESHEW, Coordinator
Early Childhood Education, UCLA Education Extension Division

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING VOTERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PROP. 1D IS THAT IT WILL TAKE $1.6 BILLION AWAY FROM CRITICAL LOCAL HEALTH AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND GIVE IT TO SACRAMENTO POLITICIANS.

Prop. 1D was placed on the ballot by Sacramento politicians to take local funding from children's health and education programs in every community. These funds were approved by voters in two previous elections.

Don't be fooled by the deceptive ballot description written by Sacramento politicians. Prop. 1D seizes money from local medical, health, and education experts and puts it in the hands of Sacramento politicians and bureaucrats.

In 1998 Californians voted to dedicate tobacco taxes to specific local health and education programs for children. Voters acted because Sacramento politicians were unwilling to fund these critical programs. In 2000, the tobacco companies tried to take this funding away and were soundly defeated at the ballot box. Today Sacramento politicians are trying to take these funds away. California voters said no to big tobacco. Now we must say no to Sacramento bureaucrats by voting no on Prop. 1D.

Prop. 1D will eliminate:

  • Healthcare, immunization, and booster shots for 120,000 California children
  • Preschool and education services for more than 200,000 children
  • Smoking prevention aimed at 550,000 pregnant women and parents of young children
  • $36 million every year for children's hospitals, school nurses, and smoking prevention

Proposition 1D will make California's budget problem worse by giving more money to the Sacramento bureaucrats. Independent studies show that every dollar invested in young children yields a seven dollar return in savings on courts, prisons, remedial education, and foster care. Proposition 1D is the kind of short-term Sacramento gimmick that created our state budget crisis in the first place.

Proposition 1D was placed on the ballot by Sacramento politicians who want you to trust them instead of the leading pediatricians, parents, teachers, nurses, and law enforcement officials who urge you to join them in voting no on Prop. 1D.

California voters said no to the tobacco companies. Now it's time to say no to Sacramento politicians and bureaucrats. Stand up for California's children and families and vote no on Prop. 1D.

Don't trust the ballot language written by Sacramento politicians and bureaucrats. See what world renowned pediatrician and author T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., and other nonpartisan independent experts say. Visit www.NoOnProposition1D.com

PAMELA PIMENTEL, R.N., Maternal-Child Health Specialist

PAMELA SIMMS-MACKEY, M.D., Associate Director of Medical Education
Children's Hospital & Research Center, Oakland

LETICIA ALEJANDREZ, Executive Director
California Family Resource Association


REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 1D


Today, state and local First 5 Commissions are sitting on almost $2.5 BILLION in unspent tax funds. At the same time, our most vulnerable children face deep cuts to health and social services programs that were enacted to close California's $42 billion budget gap. Proposition 1D ensures that these programs continue to get the funds they need to keep their doors open.

Proposition 1D temporarily redirects a portion of UNSPENT MONEY to protect at-risk children across California. Over the next five years, Proposition 1D will provide hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for services to children under the age of five, including health care, child development, early prevention services, and foster care. If Proposition 1D does not pass, these vital services will lose this funding.

As California faces this unprecedented fiscal crisis, it's critical that we spend our tax dollars as wisely as possible—while taking every step possible to protect our most vulnerable. That is why we need to vote YES ON 1D. Ensuring children's access to health care and critical protective services must be California's priority.

Proposition 1D:

  • PROTECTS OUR YOUNGEST AND NEEDIEST CHILDREN by ensuring essential programs receive the funding they desperately require.
  • PROTECTS LOCAL FIRST 5 COMMISSIONS allowing them to continue their vital work in California's communities.
  • DOES NOT RAISE YOUR TAXES by using existing, unspent money that the state already has in its account.

During this difficult economic time, we must take this step to protect our children.

Vote yes on Prop. 1D!

JAVIER V. GUZMAN, Principal Consultant The California Latino Child Development Association

ROBERT J. BALDO, Executive Director Association of Regional Center Agencies



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