Battle of the Ballot Box

California’s Battle of the Ballot Box: six measures that could change civil society in California 7:00-9:00pm, January 17 WILPF program, Quaker Meeting House 225 Rooney Street, Santa Cruz . Free, all welcome, donations always welcome.

The yearly California Battle of the Ballot Box is already heating up though November voting is months away. Our January program will focus on six prospective ballot issues concerning the death penalty, corporate purchase of our elections, health care, the environment and tax equity.

We can’t let mega-corporations and special interests dominate the initiative process – now is the time to get these measures on the ballot so our voices can be heard in November. The format will be interactive with speakers on each proposed measure and time after for discussion, planning, and advocacy.
1. Rescue Education California - Tax on California Oil and Natural Gas: The measure would impose a 10 percent tax on value of oil and natural gas extracted in California to supplement funding for education.
2. California Disclose Act AB1148: Requires the top 3 financiers to be clearly identified in all ads – tv, radio, print, websites, and mailers. The bill applies to all ads supporting or opposing ballot measures, and ads supporting or opposing candidates paid for by independent expenditures.
3. Safe California Act - The Savings, Accountability, and Full Enforcement for California Act: SAFE will replace California’s death penalty with a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole as the maximum punishment for murder. California taxpayers will save well over $100 million every year without releasing a single prisoner or executing an innocent person.
4. California One Care SB810: A bill to establish universal healthcare in California through publicly financed administration. The previous healthcare bill (SB840) was passed by the California Senate and Assembly twice and vetoed both times by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
5. Human Right to Water AB 685: The bill would require the state to acknowledge that clean water is critical to life and health and commit the state to work toward the day when every person has clean and safe water for personal use.
5A. Desal alternatives
6. Oil and Gas Production: Hydraulic Fracturing AB591: This bill would define hydraulic fracturing and require the operator provide a list of the chemical constituents used in the hydraulic fracturing fluid and the amount of water and hydraulic fracturing fluid recovered from the well.
This meeting, co-sponsored by Health Care for All and the Santa Cruz Chapter of ACLU, will be attended by representative of numerous progressive organizations with whom we’ll plan a coordinated effort in order to maximize our energy. Join us to learn about and analyze these ballot measures and determine where to focus our combined energy in the coming months.
For more information call Nancy Abbey (831 465 8272) or email wilpf.news [at] calcentral.com.