The Common Sense Voter's Guide

(Source: California Common Sense)California Common Sense (CACS) recenly released a non-partisan voter's guide for the propositions on the November 2012 ballot. The guide focuses on the propositions that will have major fiscal and structural impact on the State: Propositions 30, 31, 32, 36, 38, and 39.  Concentrating on issues relevant to CACS’s previous research, the guide adds depth and context to the public discourse surrounding the propositions. It simplifies complex issues and cuts through hyperbolic rhetoric without omitting crucial detail. It arms voters with facts and meaningful analysis so that they can go to the polls with confidence. 

Research Director Mike Polyakov said, “Our analyses extend beyond the typical campaign talking points. CACS provides the context to evaluate the substance and likely effects of the propositions, which every voter should have before stepping into the ballot box. Our guide offers depth, balance, and common sense.”

The voter's guide includes original summaries, details, and analysis of each proposition; relevant secondary research; and substantive arguments for and against. When possible, the guide includes campaign videos for and against each proposition, as well as links to campaign websites and related interactive data visualizations from CACS. It also offers a side-by-side comparison of Propositions 30 (Governor Brown’s tax increase) and 38 (Molly Munger’s tax increase).

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You can find the entire guide here.

Roundup: September 6, 2012

"Tax increases under Prop 38. The dollar increases are before credits (dependent child credits, childcare credit, and renters credit, etc.) so the actual increase for taxpayers with incomes up to $40,000 may be less than shown. Source: Prop 38 campaign."

• Are both sides of Prop 32 making mountains out of molehills?

• Do the film tax credits really improve the economy? 

• CalSTRS gives a cautionary report of future savings of $22.7billion, w/ pension reform passed.

• Three groups campaigning for Prop 8 admit to violating campaign finance rules, agree to fines.

• Is the pension reform bill flawed? Was the process to pass it flawed? 

Roundup: August 21, 2012

"Former Deputy Director Manuel Thomas Lopez told investigators earlier this year that a report on leave balances prompted him to consider a buyout program as a way to spend money as the end of the 2010-11 fiscal year approached." (Photo: State of California)

• California allows state employees to accrue 640 hours in leave time, without true caps.

• Will AB 5 will be useful in the waiver from new requirements in No Child Left Behind Law? 

• Did the Yes on 32 campaign take Villaraigosa's quote out of context for its own means?

• The report of the parks and recreation buyout plan is released.

• Has PG&E "grossly mismanaged" the gas pipeline system? Should upgrade costs be paid 85% by customers, or 100% by PG&E? 

Roundup: August 8, 2012

Out-of-school suspensions, about 3 percent for white students in 1972, have increased significantly for all groups over the past decade, but especially for African Americans. Source: “Opportunities Suspended: The Disparate Impact of Disciplinary Exclusion from School.”

• A UCLA report pinpoints high suspension districts. Does it also show that white students are less likely to get suspended? 

• Political pointing of fingers over Stockton & San Bernardino filing bankruptcy has begun. 

• Berman/Sherman battle gets uglier. Barney Frank joins mix, calling Sherman "superficial" & "not a very good legislator."

Roundup: August 3, 2012

There are 560 accounts that fall into the "special fund" category; California owes them five times more than in 2008 

Three propositions are now in litigation; Prop 30 and recently filed suits concerning Props 32 and 39

Report of the State Budget Task Force: Unfortunately, the Worst is Yet to Come by David Crane

Does California need transparency? Is that one way to bring accountability and prevent stashes of cash?

Roundup: August 1, 2012

Molly MungerMolly Munger's campaign for Prop 38 has spent $8.2 million through June. 

Does AB 889 provide much needed regulation to an unsupervised industry, or inflict "onerous wage and hour obligations"? 

If Facebook's stock price remains depressed, millions of income tax dollars assumed in 2012-13 state budget at risk - LAO Report

California's borrowing from special funds is five times greater than it was in 2008 - to the tune of $4.8 billion 

San Bernardino drafts two plans for pension revisions; will they be decided at the ballot box or on bargaining table?

Roundup: July 24, 2012

Will the Parks and Recreation's stash go towards parks that were scheduled to be closed? 

Does the term "paycheck protection" apply to Prop 32?

Northern CA vs. Southern CA - this time battling over water.

In addition to large loans, are students also faced with hidden fees, possible fraud, and marketing headaches?

Pay cap vs. pay cut: Can either help San Bernardino budget issues?