Official Voter Information Guide
Propositions
Proposition 29
Arguments and RebuttalsAbout Primary Elections
Dates to Remember
- May 21, 2012
Last day to register to vote - May 29, 2012
Last day to apply for a
vote-by-mail ballot by mail - June 5, 2012
Election Day
PROP
29
IMPOSES ADDITIONAL TAX ON CIGARETTES FOR CANCER RESEARCH. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 29
VOTE YES ON 29 TO SUPPORT CANCER RESEARCH AND SAVE LIVES.
Prop. 29, the California Cancer Research Act, is based on a simple but powerful idea. It creates a new $1 tobacco tax—PAID ONLY BY THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO SMOKE.
The American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and American Lung Association sponsored this measure because they know that taxing tobacco saves lives. The tobacco companies oppose this measure for the same reason. Big tobacco knows that ninety percent of smokers start as teens.
YES ON PROP. 29 SUPPORTS CANCER RESEARCH. THE MONEY GOES DIRECTLY TO RESEARCH DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS—POLITICIANS CAN'T TOUCH IT.
Cancer is the world's most deadly killer—smoking is its leading cause. Cancer has touched every family in our state. California's scientists are at the forefront of life-saving research in the detection, treatment, prevention and cure of cancer, heart disease, and other smoking-related illnesses. They're making great strides, but there's much to be done. Prop. 29 generates nearly $600 million for their research—and continues the search for cures.
YES ON PROP. 29 KEEPS KIDS FROM SMOKING—AND SAVES LIVES.
Tobacco companies still spend millions marketing their products—every year, more than 34,000 California kids start smoking. Prop. 29 helps smokers quit and discourages kids from smoking in the first place. An extra $1 tobacco tax might not sound like much, but to a teenager, it could make starting to smoke more trouble than it's worth. Public health experts estimate Prop. 29 will stop 228,000 kids from smoking. And those same experts estimate Prop. 29 will save the lives of 104,000 smokers who quit, sparing the pain and cost of battling cancer, emphysema or heart disease.
WHO OPPOSES PROP. 29? TOBACCO COMPANIES.
They've hired a legion of high-priced lobbyists and political consultants. They're spending to defeat Prop. 29. Why? To protect their profits. Don't be fooled by scare tactics and campaign smoke screens.
READ PROP. 29 FOR YOURSELF!
You'll see that PROP. 29 includes strict safeguards and real accountability. POLITICIANS WON'T DECIDE WHERE THE MONEY GOES—CALIFORNIA RESEARCH DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS WILL.
Prop. 29 keeps funding decisions in the hands of an independent panel of California's leading research organizations, trusted public health advocates and cancer survivors themselves. Prop. 29 sets aside funds to prevent cigarette smuggling. Prop. 29 requires audits to ensure all funds are spent properly.
AND REMEMBER, IF YOU DON'T SMOKE, YOU DON'T PAY.
No one can say when we'll find a cure for every cancer, but every dollar for research helps bring that day closer. In the few minutes you've spent reading this, someone new was diagnosed with cancer—someone's mother, father, son or daughter—one more family now looking for hope. Yes on Prop. 29 takes $1 wasted on cigarettes and dedicates it to the search for a cure. It could help save the life of someone you love.
SUPPORT CANCER RESEARCH. SAVE LIVES. VOTE YES ON PROP. 29, THE CALIFORNIA CANCER RESEARCH ACT.
DR. CLIFFORD C. EKE, M.D., President
American Cancer Society, California Division
JANE WARNER, President
American Lung Association in California
DR. RICHARD J. GRAY, M.D., President
American Heart Association, Western States Affiliates
REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 29
Everyone supports cancer research, but Prop. 29 is thirteen pages of fine print, loopholes and flaws. It's a proposition boondoggle like the High Speed "Train to Nowhere" Commission.
Californians across the state—taxpayers, doctors, teachers, law enforcement, small businesses and labor—say NO to Prop. 29:
Check the facts yourself:
- Promoted by a career politician, Prop. 29 is an $735 million annual new tax and spending mandate that creates an unaccountable, government bureaucracy filled with political appointees.
- Doesn't require new tax revenue be spent in California to create jobs. Money can be spent out of state or even out of country.
- Provides no new funds to treat cancer patients.
- Spends $125 million annually on overhead, bureaucracy, buildings and real estate—money that could be used for cancer treatment.
- Permits "conflicts of interest" by allowing organizations represented by Commissioners to receive taxpayer funding.
- Allows for-profit corporations to receive $500+ million in taxpayer dollars annually.
- Duplicates existing programs that already spend $6 billion annually on cancer research.
- Establishes another flawed auto-pilot spending mandate like the High Speed Rail Commission—more waste, no taxpayer accountability.
- Prohibits the Governor and Legislature from making changes to the initiative for 15 years, even in the case of fraud or waste.
It's a bad idea to create another commission and give it $735 million annually with no accountability for how it spends the money.
Check the facts at www.ReadForYourself.org, then join us in voting "NO" on Prop. 29.
MIKE GENEST, Former Director
California Department of Finance
MARCY ZWELLING, M.D., Past President
Los Angeles County Medical Association
TOM BOGETICH, Executive Director (Retired)
California State Board of Education
ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 29
Everyone supports cancer research, but Proposition 29 is FLAWED.
READ THE FINE PRINT FOR YOURSELF.
Prop. 29:
RAISES TAXES, BUT DOESN'T CLEAN UP SACRAMENTO'S WASTEFUL SPENDING OR HELP BALANCE OUR BUDGET
- California politicians need to live within their means. Instead, a career politician is promoting Prop. 29 to raise taxes by $735 million a year to create another NEW BUREAUCRACY AND SPECIAL INTEREST SPENDING COMMISSION we can't afford.
- We have a $10+ billion deficit and voters are being threatened with cuts to schools or higher taxes. WE CAN'T FUND EXISTING PROGRAMS, YET PROP. 29 RAISES TAXES TO CREATE A WHOLE NEW GOVERNMENT SPENDING PROGRAM. That doesn't make sense.
ALLOWS CALIFORNIA TAX DOLLARS TO BE SPENT OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA
- Raises nearly $1 billion in new taxes, but allows tax dollars to be spent outside California, even outside the country (Section 30130.53(d)).
- If we're going to RAISE TAXES ON CALIFORNIANS, IT SHOULD BE SPENT IN CALIFORNIA to help create jobs.
NEW BUREAUCRACY, MORE POLITICAL APPOINTEES = MORE WASTE
- The Commission, with 6 political appointees, can spend an estimated $15 million on staff salaries and overhead annually, and saddle taxpayers with more pension and healthcare obligations (Section 30130.53(d)(5)).
- Prop. 29 allows spending $110 million annually on buildings and equipment but doesn't require money to be spent with California universities/hospitals—tax money can be given to huge for-profit corporations (Section 30130.53(d)(2)).
- Like High Speed Rail and other Commissions, this BUREAUCRACY GOES ON AND ON. Prop. 29 EXEMPTS the CEO from hiring/salary requirements (Section 30130.54(d)(2)) so the CEO can be paid hundreds of thousands a year and has the power to hire a huge staff.
DUPLICATES EXISTING PROGRAMS
- Each year, the federal government spends $6 billion on cancer research and California spends $70 million on tobacco control programs. Prop. 29 duplicates these existing programs.
NO ACCOUNTABILITY
- Prop. 29 requires a so-called "annual report," but it's WRITTEN BY THE COMMISSION ITSELF and doesn't require grant money to produce results (Section 30130.54(i)).
- In fact, not even the Governor, Legislature or State Auditor has authority to make changes to the initiative for 15 years, even in the case of fraud or waste (Section 6(b)). THAT'S NOT ACCOUNTABILITY!
NOTHING FOR CANCER TREATMENT
- Supporters claim it will help save billions in healthcare costs, but the measure provides NO NEW FUNDING FOR TREATING CANCER PATIENTS (Section 30130.53).
CIRCUMVENTS VOTER-APPROVED INITIATIVE, HURTS SCHOOLS
- A California voter-approved Constitutional amendment requires that any new taxes help pay for education, but Prop. 29 exempts itself from this requirement, shortchanging our schools by $300+ million per year (Section 30130.50(c)).
- We shouldn't let a career politician use a loophole to thwart voter-approved initiatives.
"Cancer research is important, but if we're going to spend $735 million a year, we need to have strict controls and make sure our tax dollars are spent in California. Prop. 29 is flawed and deserves a "no" vote." —Marcy Zwelling, M.D. Past President, Los Angeles County Medical Association
Visit: ReadForYourself.org
Vote NO on Proposition 29
TERESA CASAZZA, President
California Taxpayers Association
LA DONNA R. PORTER, M.D., Former President
Golden State Medical Association
JULIAN CANETE, President
California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce
REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 29
Every word you just read was from a campaign bought and paid for by the tobacco companies. Check the official state website—the tobacco companies are the ONLY ones spending millions to defeat Prop. 29:
http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Measures
The tobacco companies declined to sign their message above—but that's not all they're hiding from you. The truth is Prop. 29 works; it gets people to stop smoking, and that hurts Big Tobacco's profits. Please, read Prop. 29 for yourself.
PROP. 29 SAVES LIVES—The American Cancer Society, American Lung Association and American Heart Association wrote Prop. 29 because this $1 per pack tobacco tax saves 104,000 lives.
PROP. 29 HELPS CALIFORNIA RESEARCH CENTERS—The University of California and the California Medical Association support Prop. 29 because it raises $585 million per year for research and will help California's best research institutions find cures to cancer, heart and lung disease.
PROP. 29 PROTECTS SCHOOLS AND KIDS—California's Superintendent of Public Instruction and the California State Parent Teachers Association support Prop. 29 because it stops over 200,000 children from ever becoming smokers.
PROP. 29 REQUIRES STRONG FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY—A Citizens Oversight Committee ensures funds go directly to doctors and scientists. Strict accountability laws prohibit conflicts of interest, require annual independent audits, and cap administrative costs at less than 2% (Section 30130.54). These accountability laws are backed up by stiff criminal penalties for violations (Section 30130.56).
THE TRUTH IS PROP. 29 SAVES LIVES, BUT ONLY WITH A YES VOTE.
DR. BETH Y. KARLAN, M.D., Director
Women's Cancer Program, Oschin Comprehensive Cancer
Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
ELIZABETH BLACKBURN, PH.D,
Nobel Laureate in Medicine
DR. BALAZS "ERNIE" BODAI, M.D.
Founder of the Breast Cancer Stamp
Arguments printed on this page are the opinions of the authors and have not been checked for accuracy by any official agency.
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