California Statewide General Election
Tuesday, November 2, 2010, Official Voter Information Guide
Official Voter Information Guide
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Propositions
- Proposition 18
- Proposition 19
Proposition 20
- Proposition 21
- Proposition 22
- Proposition 23
- Proposition 24
- Proposition 25
- Proposition 26
- Proposition 27
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PROP
20
REDISTRICTING OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS.
INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 20
Proposition 20 will put an end to legislators drawing election districts for their friends in Congress—districts that virtually guarantee Members of Congress get reelected even when they don't listen to voters.
Proposition 20 will create fair congressional districts that make our congressional representatives more accountable to voters and make it easier to vote them out of office when they don't do their jobs.
Proposition 20 simply extends the redistricting reforms voters passed in 2008 (Prop. 11) so the voter-approved independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, instead of politicians, draws California congressional districts in addition to drawing state legislative districts.
The Commission is already being organized to draw fair districts. Visit the official state site to see preparations for the Citizens Redistricting Commission's redistricting in 2011 (www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov).
Proposition 20 will:
- Create fair congressional districts.
- Help make our congressional representatives more accountable and responsive to voters.
- Make it easier to vote Members of Congress out of office if they're not doing their jobs.
YES ON PROPOSITION 20: STOP THE BACKROOM DEALS
Right now, legislators and their paid consultants draw districts behind closed doors to guarantee their friends in Congress are reelected. Sacramento politicians pick the voters for their friends in Congress, rather than voters choosing who will represent them.
The Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register revealed that in the last redistricting, 32 Members of Congress and other politicians paid one political consultant over ONE MILLION dollars to draw district boundaries to guarantee their reelection!
Proposition 20 puts an end to backroom deals by ensuring redistricting is completely open to the public and transparent. Proposition 20 means no secret meetings or payments are allowed and politicians can't divide communities just to get the political outcome they want.
YES ON PROPOSITION 20: HOLD POLITICIANS ACCOUNTABLE
When politicians are guaranteed reelection, they have little incentive to work together to solve the serious problems we all face.
Proposition 20 will create fair districts so politicians will actually have to work for our votes and respond to voter needs.
“When voters can finally hold politicians accountable, politicians will have to quit playing games and work to address the serious challenges Californians face.”—Ruben Guerra, Latin Business Association
The choice is simple:
GOOD GOVERNMENT GROUPS ASK YOU TO VOTE “YES” ON PROPOSITION 20 to force politicians to compete in fair districts so we can hold them accountable.
POLITICIANS WANT YOU TO VOTE “NO” ON PROPOSITION 20 so they can stifle voters' voices so we can't hold them accountable.
It's time we stand up to the politicians and special interests and extend voter-approved redistricting reforms to include Congress.
Voters already created the Commission—it's common sense to have the Commission draw congressional as well as legislative districts.
“People from every walk of life support Proposition 20 to send a message to politicians that it's time to put voters in charge and get California back on track.”—Joni Low, Asian Business Association of San Diego
JOIN US IN VOTING YES ON PROPOSITION 20.
YesProp20.org
DAVID PACHECO, California President
AARP
KATHAY FENG, Executive Director
California Common Cause
JOHN KABATECK, Executive Director
National Federation of
Independent Business/California
REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 20
DON'T BE FOOLED—NO ON PROPOSITION 20—IT WASTES TAXPAYER DOLLARS
Perhaps Charles Munger, Junior, the sole bankroller of Prop. 20, has fooled well–meaning David Pacheco, Kathay Feng, and John Kabateck. But don't let him fool you.
Prop. 20 guarantees no level of fairness, guarantees no competitive districts, guarantees nothing—except that voters cannot hold those who draw congressional district lines accountable for what they do AND THAT YOU, THE TAXPAYER, WILL FOOT THE BILL FOR MUNGER'S SCHEME.
Accountability to the people is the fundamental principle of our form of government. But Prop. 20 gives a non–accountable 14–person bureaucracy even more power over the people. And, of course, this bureaucracy will cost you money.
Proponents have stated (unknowingly) the most obvious reason to vote No on 20: BELIEVE IT OR NOT, these people want to extend the travesty of the existing redistricting commission even further! Who, other than a handful of lobbyists, lawyers, and politicians has been able to figure out the incredibly complicated labyrinth for choosing the commission?
And the bureaucrats who emerge from this wasteful inscrutable process will have absolute power over our legislative districts. VOTERS WILL NEVER HAVE A CHANCE TO HOLD THEM RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT THEY DO.
Our state is in crisis! Unemployment, crime, massive debt. It is time to stop nonsense political games of reapportionment.
Save taxpayer dollars, hold the power brokers accountable to the people. Vote No on Proposition 20. Vote Yes on its rival, Proposition 27.
MARK MURRAY, Executive Director
Californians Against Waste
HANK LACAYO, President
Congress of California Seniors
DANIEL H. LOWENSTEIN, Founding Chairman
California Fair Political Practices Commission
ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 20
NO ON 20—it wastes taxpayer dollars and it turns back the clock on redistricting law. Proposition 20 is a disaster … it must be defeated.
NO ON PROPOSITION 20—IT WASTES TAXPAYER DOLLARS:
20 is the brainchild of Charles Munger, Jr.—son of multi–billionaire Wall Street tycoon Charles Munger. MUNGER JUNIOR IS THE SOLE BANK–ROLLER OF 20. (Well, four other contributors have given all of $700.) But just for its qualification, MUNGER GAVE $3.3 MILLION, a figure that will probably multiply many times by Election Day.
But if Proposition 20 passes, the taxpayers will start paying the bills instead of Munger Junior. Prop. 20 will cost us millions of dollars. Compare Prop. 20 with its rival, Prop. 27.
First, non–partisan experts have concluded that YES ON PROP. 27 saves taxpayer dollars:
“Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: LIKELY DECREASE IN STATE REDISTRICTING COSTS TOTALING SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS EVERY TEN YEARS.”
Second, Prop. 20 adds to the cascade of waste that Prop. 27 would avoid. Governor Schwarzenegger has already proposed going back to the well to double the redistricting budget, spending MILLIONS MORE DOLLARS to draw lines for politicians while the state is facing a $19 billion deficit.
AND NOW WITH PROP. 20, MUNGER JUNIOR WANTS TO MAKE THIS WASTEFUL BUREAUCRACY SPRAWL EVEN FURTHER AT THE EXTRA EXPENSE OF YOU, THE TAXPAYER.
NO ON PROPOSITION 20—IT MANDATES JIM CROW ECONOMIC DISTRICTS:
Proposition 20 turns back the clock on redistricting law. Inexplicably, Proposition 20 mandates that all districts (including Assembly, Senate, and Congress) must be segregated by income level. This pernicious Prop. 20 mandates that all districts be segregated according to “similar living standards” and that districts include only people “with similar work opportunities.”
“Prop. 20 is insulting to all Californians. Jim Crow districts are a thing of the past. 20 sets back the clock on redistricting law. No on 20.”—Julian Bond, Chairman Emeritus, NAACP
Jim Crow districts are a throwback to an awful bygone era. Districting by race, by class, by lifestyle or by wealth is unacceptable. Munger Junior may not want to live in the same district as his chauffeur, but Californians understand these code words. The days of “country club members only” districts or of “poor people only” districts are over. NO ON PROP. 20—all Californians MUST be treated equally.
OUR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC IS NOT A TOY TO BE PLAYED WITH FOR THE SELF–AGGRANDIZEMENT OF THE IDLE SECOND–GENERATION RICH.
NO ON 20, YES ON 27.
DANIEL H. LOWENSTEIN, Founding Chairman
California Fair Political Practices Commission
AUBRY L. STONE, President
California Black Chamber of Commerce
CARL POPE, Chairman
Sierra Club
REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 20
The argument against Proposition 20 is one of the most angry and over-the-top you'll ever see in the Voter Guide.
THE POLITICIANS BEHIND IT SHOULD BE ASHAMED.
They're desperate because voters can pass Proposition 20 and stop Sacramento politicians from drawing election districts to ensure their friends in Congress are reelected, even when they don't listen to voters.
That's a threat to them. Politicians will say anything to protect their "safe" seats in Congress so they're not accountable to voters.
DON'T BE MISLED BY THE POLITICIANS' BOGUS "COST" ARGUMENT.
FACT: The non-partisan state Legislative Analyst found Prop. 20 will result in "probably no significant change in redistricting costs." Cal-Tax and other taxpayer groups support 20.
HERE'S WHY PASSING PROPOSITION 20 IS SO IMPORTANT:
FACT: In the last redistricting, Latino leaders sued after a California Congressman had 170,000 Latinos carved out of his district just to ensure he'd get reelected. Now he's leading the charge against 20!
FACT: Politicians want to defeat 20 so they can keep drawing districts that divide communities, cities and counties and dilute voters' voices—just to get safe seats.
FACT: 20 will finally put an end to the politicians' self-serving, backroom deals.
FACT: With 20, the voter-approved Citizens Redistricting Commission will draw fair congressional districts in a completely transparent manner, giving voters power to hold politicians accountable.
The California Black Chamber of Commerce, Latin Business Association, Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association all say YES on 20!
Check it out for yourself: www.YesProp20.org
ALICE HUFFMAN, President
California NAACP
JULIAN CANETE, Executive Director
California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce
RICHARD RIDER, Chairman
San Diego Tax Fighters
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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