Posted on 05/15/2009 7:55:01 AM PDT by SmithL
Millions of dollars have been raised to fight the linchpin of ballot measures in Tuesday's election, a package that was carefully crafted to discourage big-bucks opposition.
Though vastly outspent, opponents of Proposition 1A have parlayed $4.3 million in contributions and anger at state politicians into a solid advantage in recent polls.
The measure, stemming from this year's bitter budget fight, would place long-term spending restrictions on state government and extend recent tax increases for up to two years.
Major donors to No on 1A, state records show, include the California State Council of Service Employees International Union, $1.3 million; California Faculty Association, $1.2 million; Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, $680,000; and California Federation of Teachers, $517,000.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a coalition of teachers, construction interests and business groups have raised nearly $26 million to pass 1A and all five other propositions.
Donors supporting 1A, whose campaign is touting other measures as well, include the California Teachers Association, $9.2 million; National Education Association, $3 million; and A. Jerrold Perenchio, former Univision owner, $1.5 million.
The effort also has attracted $2.5 million from Schwarzenegger's ballot measure committee – including $650,000 from the California Republican Party – and sizable sums from oil, liquor and professional sports interests that won concessions in negotiations that preceded crafting of the ballot measures.
Money always talks in elections, but maybe not as loudly Tuesday since the number of ads touting 1A may be offset by voter confusion and anger over recession and deficit, political analysts say.
"The biggest challenge is an initiative package that's very difficult to explain to voters," said Dan Schnur, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California.
"When those voters are angry and suspicious, it's an even harder sell," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
CA politics are hard to follow.
Why are some labor unions against this and some for it?
This is the text of an email that I received from an acquaintance that has spent years working in California politics:
Vote no on all of them! They were put together by worthless, lying politicians. Prop 1A is a tax increase and a phony budget cap. Prop 1B gives the public schools more money... and where is that $ coming from? Prop 1C borrows against future lottery earnings... completely irresponsible. Prop 1 D and E are somewhat legitimate, but we should never have been paying those taxes in the first place. Prop 1 F is a sham... politicians don’t get a pay raise from the Citizen’s Compensation Committee if it is a “deficit year”... however the Director of Finance must declare it a “deficit year” first. The Director of Finance will not declare it a “deficit year” until the politicians get their pay raise.
It is easer to vote “no” on all of the propositions. Hopefully everyone does and the politicians pull their heads out of their butts and wake up.
I followed his advise and voted “NO” on all these propositions cooked up by corrupt, power-hungry, self-serving politicians. California politicians are clones of the same power-hungry corrupt politicians everywhere especially in DC and in the current White House.
In the polls, all six losing badly....Nice going Awnuld! You were elected to fix the budget a long time ago! Now let’s take a look!....ground zero IN YOUR own eye ball level pile of crap!
Prop 1f is meaningless fluff, but is probably the only one of the six that will be passed.
Major donors to No on 1A, state records show, include the California State Council of Service Employees International Union, $1.3 million; California Faculty Association, $1.2 million; Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, $680,000; and California Federation of Teachers, $517,000.
AGAINST: 3.7 million.
Donors supporting 1A, whose campaign is touting other measures as well, include the California Teachers Association, $9.2 million; National Education Association, $3 million; and A. Jerrold Perenchio, former Univision owner, $1.5 million.
FOR: 14.5 million.
Yes. I believe it’s the only one with a chance.
$46 million vs. $4 million and the Props will fail. Perhaps California is not doomed.
Prop 1a does include a fictitious spending cap. Some unions can’t stand the idea of any kind of cap on government spending, even if it’s all smoke and mirrors.
I’m going to vote “no” on all of them. I always vote against the bond measures and am disgusted by the lawyers and politicians that craft these measures.
This is hilarious and ironic on several levels.
Jesse Unruh was one of the most effective liberal (Democratic) crooks in California history. He was not called "Big Daddy" for nothing.
So this comedian, Schnur, is now agonizing that it is "very difficult" to explain massive tax increases with added future interest added for "borrowed money?"
No you idiot. California does not have a revenue crisis; it has a spending crisis.
While the entire country reels from financial battering, the California Legislature gave itself and loyal employees raises!
Why? Because they could!
Are the voters stupid? Absolutely. November 2008 proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt.
The numbers say it all: $26 million vs. $4.3 million.
It would be profitable for Califonia real workers and taxpayers to actually read the pro-spending, tax-increase propositions, and, most importantly, read the list of supporters. Not a productive body in the bunch. Every individual and group listed are tax vampires.
The one ray of hope is that some the state employee unions figured out all by themselves that their pensions are at risk and are opposing the propositions. Others, I'm sure are voting "NO" out of conscience; "business as usual" will destroy them all along with the regular taxpayers.
A Republican candidate for governor stated that California could shed 10% of its employees and remove the crisis. I blanched when it was stated that 10% represents a disaster!
The disaster is not why I blanched. It was when I realized that if 30,000 represents 10%, the total State employees number 300,000!
Have you tried to deal with a state agency lately? Have you been able even to get them to answer the phone?
Against the propositions Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assoc. ~680K
This is really pathetic. We conservatives deserve our fate for apathy. The lion’s share of money against the propositions was from unions who were dissatisfied with even the bogus limitations on spending in 1A.
For the propostions ...
“A. Jerrold Perenchio, former Univision owner, $1.5 million.”
This is also pathetic. Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner, Republican candidates for governor say they are against the propositions. Yet they are multi-billionaires and they did not contribute a cent to fight them.
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