Californication

by digby

Here’s your handy dandy, progressive guide to the many ballot propositions courtesy of our friends at the Courage Campaign. There’s a link at the bottom to print this out to take to the polls tomorrow:

2008 California Mobile Voter Guide PROP 1A: High Speed Rail

Authorizes $10 billion in bonds to begin construction of a 220 MPH train to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles via San Jose and Fresno. Trains will be powered by renewable electricity and create 160,000 jobs over the next 10 years.
SUPPORTING: Sierra Club, CA Democratic Party, CA League of Conservation Voters, CA Labor Federation, Calitics PROP 2: Stop Animal Cruelty

Mandates that farm animals such as chickens and pigs are given enough room in their cages to spread their wings, turn and move around, stand up or sit down.
SUPPORTING: Sierra Club, CA Democratic Party, CA League of Conservation Voters, Calitics PROP 3: Children’s Hospital Bonds

Provides over $900 million in bond funding to renovate and expand children’s hospital facilities around the state.
SUPPORTING: CA Democratic Party, Los Angeles Times, Calitics PROP 4: Undermines Teen Safety and Abortion Rights

Californians have rejected this proposal twice since 2005, which would undermine a woman’s right to choose. It places young women in serious jeopardy of abuse (or worse) and is part of a strategy to roll back abortion rights for all Californians.
OPPOSING: Planned Parenthood, CA Nurses Association, CA Association of School Counselors, SEIU CA, CA Medical Association, CA Democratic Party PROP 5: Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation

Saves the state over $1 billion a year by providing treatment rather than prison time for those suffering from a drug addiction.
SUPPORTING: CA Democratic Party, Cal Labor Fed, League of Women Voters, CA Nurses Association, SEIU CA, Color of Change.org, NAACP PROP 6: Massive prison expansion

Forces thousands of juvenile offenders into adult courts, mandates longer prison sentences, and takes billions from the state budget for more prison spending at a time of historic budget deficits.
OPPOSING: CA Democratic Party, Cal Labor Fed, Ella Baker Center, ACLU, League of Women Voters, CA Nurses Association, SEIU CA PROP 7: Renewable Power Standard

Prop 7 has been a contentious issue. Proponents believe it is a bold and necessary step toward more solar and wind projects by mandating we get 50% of our power from renewable sources by 2025. Opponents believe the measure is poorly written and may cause more harm than good. We are not convinced by either side and invite voters to make their own assessment. PROP 8: Eliminates marriage rights

Would revoke marriage rights for same-sex couples and enshrine discrimination in the state constitution, the first time in history that a constitutional amendment would rescind human rights.
OPPOSING: Equality California, ACLU, Cal Labor Fed, CA Democratic Party, Anti-Defamation League, California NAACP, CNA, SEIU CA PROP 9: More prison expansion

Like Prop 6, this would mandate huge increases in prison spending, by using “victims’ rights” as a cover. California legislation on victims’ rights is already among the nation’s strongest making this proposition unnecessary.
OPPOSING: CA Democratic Party, Cal Labor Fed, Ella Baker Center, ACLU, League of Women Voters, SEIU CA, CA Nurses Association PROP 10: T. Boone Bailout

Oklahoma oil billionaire and funder of the 2004 Swift Boat ads against John Kerry, T. Boone Pickens, wants to take $5 billion from our stressed budget for his natural gas companies.
OPPOSING: Sierra Club, CA League of Conservation Voters, Cal Labor Fed, Union of Concerned Scientists, SEIU CA, CA Nurses Association PROP 11: Biased Redistricting

A deeply flawed effort to change how legislative districts are drawn. Though we desperately need redistricting reform, this is not it. Actually favors Republicans (who have 32% of registered voters) over Democrats (with 43%) and Independents (with 19.5%). Undermines voting rights for Californians of color.
OPPOSING: CA League of Conservation Voters, Cal Labor Fed, CA Democratic Party, Mobilize the Immigrant Vote, Legislative Black Caucus and Legislative Latino Caucus, La Opinión PROP 12: Veterans’ Homes Bond

Renews a home loan program for veterans that dates back to 1922. The bond must be periodically renewed – this would be the 12th renewal. Enables veterans of current wars to get affordable loans. Bond is repaid by veterans themselves.
SUPPORTING: CA Democratic Party, Los Angeles Times, Cal Labor Fed, Calitics
CLCV – League of Conservation Voters
LWV – League of Women Voters
EQCA – Equality California Visit http://www.couragecampaign.org/2008voterguide on your PC for more information. A project of the Courage Campaign Issues Committee