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
22
PROHIBITS THE STATE FROM BORROWING OR TAKING FUNDS USED FOR TRANSPORTATION, REDEVELOPMENT, OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROJECTS AND SERVICES. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 22
THE PROBLEM—STATE POLITICIANS KEEP TAKING LOCAL GOVERNMENT and TRANSPORTATION FUNDS.
For too long, Sacramento politicians have used loopholes in the law to take billions in taxpayer funds dedicated by the voters to local government and transportation services.
The State Legislature took and borrowed $5 billion last year and is planning to take billions more this year. State raids have forced deep cuts to vital local services like 9–1–1 emergency response, police, fire, libraries, senior services, road repairs, and public transportation improvements.
THE SOLUTION—YES on 22 will STOP STATE RAIDS of LOCAL GOVERNMENT and TRANSPORTATION FUNDS.
YES on 22 will:
1) STOP the State from taking or borrowing local tax dollars dedicated to cities and counties to fund vital local services like 9-1-1 response, police, and fire protection.
2) STOP the State from taking or diverting gas taxes we pay at the pump that voters have dedicated to local road repairs, transportation improvements, and public transportation.
YES on 22—PROTECTS VITAL LOCAL SERVICES, including PUBLIC SAFETY.
“Cities spend more than 60 percent of their general funds on police and fire services. By prohibiting State raids of local funds, Prop. 22 will help maintain law enforcement, 9–1–1 emergency response, and other public safety services.”—Chief Douglas Fry, President, FIRE CHIEFS DEPARTMENT, League of California Cities
YES on 22 will protect vital locally delivered services, including:
- Police and sheriff patrols
- 9–1–1 emergency dispatch
- Paramedic response
- Fire protection
- Senior services
- Youth anti-gang and after school programs
- Neighborhood parks and libraries
- Public transportation, like buses and commuter rail
- Local road safety repairs
YES on 22—ENSURES our GAS TAXES are DEDICATED to TRANSPORTATION.
The gas taxes we pay at the pump should be used to improve road safety, relieve traffic congestion, and to fund mass transit. But state politicians keep diverting our gas taxes for non-transportation purposes. Yes on 22 ensures that gas tax funds are used for transportation improvements as voters intended.
YES on 22—APPLIES ONLY TO EXISTING FUNDING FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT and TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
Prop. 22 will NOT increase taxes. And claims that 22 will hurt school funding are just scare tactics by those who want to continue State raids of local funds. Prop. 22 simply ensures that our existing local tax dollars and existing gas taxes cannot be taken away by the state politicians again.
YES on 22—SUPPORTED by a BROAD COALITION:
- California Fire Chiefs Association
- Peace Officers Research Association of California, representing 60,000 public safety members
- Local paramedics and 9–1–1 dispatch operators
- California Police Chiefs Association
- California Library Association, representing 3,000 librarians across California
- California Transit Association
- League of California Cities
- California Alliance for Jobs
- California Chamber of Commerce
- More than 50 local chambers of commerce
- More than 300 cities and towns
STOP STATE RAIDS OF LOCAL TAXPAYER FUNDS.
VOTE YES on 22!
DOUGLAS FRY, President
Fire Chiefs Department,
League of California Cities
KIM BUI-BURTON, President
California Library Association
SUSAN MANHEIMER, President
California Police Chiefs Association
REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSITION 22
THE SOLUTION—NO ON PROP. 22
Are proponents of Prop. 22—local government bureaucrats, developers and redevelopment agencies who create endless schemes to fill their coffers—really blind to California's budget crisis?
Why else would they ask voters to pass an initiative where public schools stand to lose over one billion dollars next year, and billions more over the next decade, while handing billions in tax dollars to developers?
Then, Prop. 22 takes money firefighters across California use to fight fires and natural disasters.
And, Prop. 22 makes funding for affordable healthcare for children more difficult.
The Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association strongly urges a NO vote on 22.
The Fullerton Association of Concerned Taxpayers says NO.
They believe special protections for redevelopment agencies in Prop. 22 are a terrible idea. It would allow more sweetheart deals with for-profit developers.
It's a bad idea to amend California's Constitution to reduce funding available for public education and shrink budgets for fire protection, public safety and healthcare, while protecting tax giveaways for local developers. California's Constitution isn't the place for local power grabs. Especially with no accountability!
“Prop. 22 locks in protections for redevelopment agencies that take over 10% of all property taxes and use them to enter into billions of dollars of long-term debt without voter approval.”—Lew Uhler, President, National Taxpayer Limitation Committee
Your tax dollars should go first to public schools, public safety and healthcare. And go LAST to local bureaucrats, developers and redevelopment agencies that support Proposition 22.
DAVID A. SANCHEZ, President
California Teachers Association
KEN HAMBRICK, Chair
Alliance of Contra Costa Taxpayers
LEW STONE, President
Burbank Firefighters
ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 22
Proposition 22 is another one of those propositions that sounds good, but is filled with hidden provisions that hurt taxpayers. Look at what it really does.
If Proposition 22 passes our schools stand to lose over $1 billion immediately and an additional $400 million every year after that. That is the equivalent of 5,700 teachers every year. It means larger class sizes. Overcrowded schools. Cuts in academics, music, art, vocational training, and classroom safety.
At a time when our public schools are already suffering from crippling budget cuts, Proposition 22 would devastate them. That's why the California Teachers Association, joined by school principals and parents across the state, say strongly: Vote NO on Proposition 22.
If that isn't bad enough, Proposition 22 also takes money that firefighters across the state need. The California Professional Firefighters opposes Proposition 22 because it will leave us all in greater danger from fires, earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters. It also means cuts in emergency medical services, forcing longer response times if your family needs a paramedic—or perhaps no paramedic at all in a major emergency.
Proposition 22 will reduce funding available for health care at a time when our safety net for children is already collapsing. Tens of thousands of children in California are at risk of losing their health insurance and access to affordable health care if Proposition 22 passes.
Finally, Proposition 22 has another hidden provision—it locks protections for redevelopment agencies into the State Constitution forever. These agencies have the power to take your property away with eminent domain. They skim off billions in local property taxes, with much of that money ending up in the hands of local developers. And they do so with no direct voter oversight.
Supporters of Proposition 22 claim this will somehow help public services. We disagree. Your tax dollars should go first to schools, public safety, and health care. They should go LAST to the developers and the redevelopment agencies that support this proposal.
In 2004, voters approved Proposition 1A which allows local funds to be borrowed in times of real fiscal crisis, but requires full repayment within 3 years. Proposition 22 will reverse what Californians wisely approved in 2004, leaving schools, children's health care, seniors, the blind and disabled with even less hope.
Riverside City Firefighter Timothy Strack says, “Proposition 22 won't put one more firefighter on an engine or one more paramedic in an ambulance. It simply props open the door for redevelopment agencies to take away our public safety funding.”
We all know that ballot propositions often don't do what they promise, and too often make things worse. Proposition 22 is the perfect example. During the current budget crisis we face throughout our state, why would locking in more budgeting be a smart thing? With virtually no accountability and no taxpayer protections? To benefit redevelopment agencies and the developers they serve?
Protect our schools. Our public safety. Our children's health care. Vote NO on Proposition 22.
LOU PAULSON, President
California Professional Firefighters
MALINDA MARKOWITZ, RN, Co-President
California Nurses Association
DONNA DREITH, Third Grade Teacher
Riverdale Joint Unified School District
REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT AGAINST PROPOSITION 22
In the past, the roles of California's local and state governments were balanced. But that balance has been destroyed.
Year after year, State Politicians abuse loopholes in the law to take away local taxpayer dollars now dedicated to local services.
The politicians redirect that local money to the State General Fund, where they spend it as they please.
State government keeps taking more and more, while our city and county services have been cut to the bone.
We have to close the loopholes and stop State raids of our local taxpayer funds.
READ 22 FOR YOURSELF:
- Yes on 22 stops State Politicians from taking funds used for local government services like emergency 9–1–1 response, police, fire, libraries, parks and senior services.
- Yes on 22 stops State Politicians from taking gas taxes that voters have dedicated to transportation improvements.
DON'T BE MISLED BY OPPONENTS' SCARE TACTICS.
Those opposed to 22 want State Politicians to be able to continue to take our local tax dollars. It's that simple.
FACT: 22 protects only existing local revenues and does not reduce the amount schools are guaranteed by the State Constitution. Not even by one dime.
FACT: The Peace Officers Research Association of California, representing 60,000 law enforcement personnel, the California Fire Chiefs, Fire Districts Association of California and the California Police Chiefs support 22 because it protects more than $16 billion annually for local firefighting, law enforcement and 9–1–1 emergency response.
STOP State Politicians from Raiding Local Funds.
Vote YES on 22.
DOUGLAS FRY, President
Fire Chiefs Department,
League of California Cities
RON COTTINGHAM, President
Peace Officers Research Association of California
JANE LIGHT, Librarian
San Jose Public Library
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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