Posted on 07/29/2006 12:10:14 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
In California politics, Silicon Valley executives used to be considered newbies, nerds or simply multimillionaires with too much time and money on their hands.
No longer.
Emboldened over the past decade by some success passing ballot propositions, a handful of the valley's most influential power brokers are once again aiming to use the initiative process to put their stamp on public policy in California.
Two of the boldest electoral initiatives yet to emerge from valley interests will be on November's ballot: NetFlix founder Reed Hastings and Kleiner Perkins venture capitalist John Doerr are backing Proposition 88, an unprecedented statewide real estate parcel tax to benefit education; and Vinod Khosla, another Kleiner partner, is behind Proposition 87, a first-ever royalty on oil pumped from California to fund alternative energy ventures.
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``John Burton once said, `When you deal with people who weigh their money instead of count it, you probably ought to listen,' '' said Kevin Gordon, an education lobbyist ...
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Current initiatives
For this November's ballot, Hastings and Doerr have committed $7 million to Proposition 88, which would impose a statewide $50 annual tax on every real estate parcel and earmark it for education. Khosla, along with Hollywood producer Stephen Bing, is pushing Proposition 87, which calls for the state to collect royalties on oil extracted from California and spend the money on clean-energy research and ventures. The tax would range from 1.5 percent to 6 percent, depending on oil's price per barrel. Other states and the federal government levy similar assessments.
Anti-tax opponents are labeling the parcel tax a direct assault on Proposition 13, the landmark 1978 measure that limits increases in California's property taxes. The alternative fuels measure has prompted the oil industry to raise more than $12 million to combat it.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Hastings, who formerly chaired the state Board of Education, calls the parcel tax ``a modest step'' to raise per-student spending in the state.
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hmmm, Has the GUb weighed in on this "modest step" yet?
Tom McClintock says:
Prop. 87 Oil Tax: NO! Just when you thought gasoline taxes were high enough, along comes this gem to increase them more. Another economics lesson: When you tax something, you get less of it and the price goes up.
Prop. 88 Parcel Tax: NO! Heres yet another way to get into your pocket: add an extra $50 to your annual property tax bill for still more money for schools. What makes anyone think this money will get any closer to the classroom than the $11,000+ per student we already pump in?
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McClintock Reviews the November Ballot Propositions
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1674107/posts
(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)
(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)
(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)
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