Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Countdown: THE COMING BALLOT FIGHT + CONSTITUTIONALLY UNCONVENTIONAL

SacBee CAPITOL Alert | Shane Goldmacher

The political establishment is already starting to gear up for the budget-centric special election on May 19.

Here are the budget measures that will be on that ballot:

  • Proposition 1A: Implements a spending cap based on the rate of growth from the last 10 years. If approved, it would extend the length of the taxes approved by the Legislature.
  • Proposition 1B: Changes the state's education funding law -- Proposition 98 -- for supplemental education payments to local districts due to recent budget cuts.
  • Proposition 1C: Borrows from future lottery earnings.
  • Proposition 1D: Takes money from the First 5 Commissions -- aka Proposition 10 funds -- to help balance the budget.
  • Proposition 1E: Takes money from the Mental Health Services Act -- aka Proposition 63 funds -- to help balance the budget.
  • Proposition 1F: Prevents state-level elected officials from receiving pay raises in years when the state is running a deficit.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hosted a D.C. steakhouse fundraiser Monday. The money went to Schwarzenegger's California Dream Team PAC, which is gearing up its fundraising operation for the budget special election.

A $25,000 ticket bought a seat at the head table with the governor, according to the Associated Press, while $10,000 paid for "preferred seating" and photos. Cheap seats were available for $2,500.

 

WIGS OPTIONAL: A coalition of left-of-center and good government groups are sponsoring a Sacramento summit today on whether the time has come for a California constitutional convention.

That's an actual possibility afforded under state law that would allow the state to, in essence, chuck a good chunk of its constitution and start over.

As the Bay Area Council, which initially spearheaded the effort, says, "We believe it is our duty to declare that our California government is not only broken, it has become destructive to our future. It is time to repair our system of governance."

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