The CFRW OPPOSES Prop 34which would eliminate the death penalty. There have been 13 people executed in California since 1978. There are currently 725 inmates on death row. The voters have approved the death penalty, so why aren’t we using it? There are costs associated with repealing the death penalty that the supporters of Prop 34 did not consider, and those costs are dangerous. If Prop 34 passes, the status of 725 death row inmates would become prisoners with life without parole (or LWOP) and integrated into the general LWOP prison community. This would create a very dangerous environment in our prisons, for our prison guards, wardens, and other prisoners. The people on death row are not your common criminal. Gangs form in prisons and their crimes do not stop just because they are off the streets. Californians will be paying for these prisoner’s lifetime housing and health benefits while they continue their crime sprees. There are also many studies that find the death penalty actually deters murders, such as a study done at the University of Colorado by Professor Mocan. Also, the threat of the death penalty is a very powerful tool for our state’s District Attorneys, especially in solving murders and finding victims’ bodies. The system needs fixing, but this is not the solution. NO on PROP 34
CFRW Proposition Positions
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Many members have been asking for talking points for each proposition that they can use in engaging voters. Please see below or click on each proposition below to access our short talking points for our ballot positions. You or anyone can also access this information on our homepage at ◼ www.CFRW.org. Thank you!
◼ Prop 30 - NO
◼ Prop 31 - NO
◼ Prop 32 - YES
◼ Prop 33 - YES
◼ Prop 34 - NO
◼ Prop 35 - YES
◼ Prop 36 - NO
◼ Prop 37 - NO
◼ Prop 38 - NO
◼ Prop 39 - NO
◼ Prop 40 YES
For all the props and their talking points on one PDF document, ◼ CLICK HERE.
Prop 30 - NO
◼ This prop would raise our sales tax to 7.5%, already the highest in the country, for 4 years
◼ It increases personal income taxes for top earners making $250,000 yearly and above for 7 years, driving them out of the state
◼ Governor Brown is using “bully budgeting” by threatening the voters, “vote for this tax increase or I’ll cut education!”
◼ The revenues from this proposition are not guaranteed, in fact could change significantly year to year and come in far below projections
◼ Governor Brown claims that the revenues would be used for “education”, but reality is that there is no guarantee or requirement that the revenue be allocated for education funding
Prop 31 - NO
◼ 31 has some merits- a 2 year budget cycle and bills required to be in print for 72 hours before a vote. But that is where the merits end.
◼ Prop 31 would create a “pay-go” system where legislators would fudge the numbers and create fantasy spending cuts that never materialize. The “pay- go” requirement of $25 million would lead to programs costing $24.9 million so as to circumvent the obligation.
◼ Prop 31 is written so poorly and contradictory that it will lead to lawsuits and confusion.
◼ It creates “Community Strategic Action Plans” where localities and regions can override state law and regulations. This also allows localities to “tax pool” their property tax revenues, which will inevitably lead to litigation.
Prop 32 - YES
◼ Prop 32 will ban both corporate and union contributions to state and local candidates, ban contributions by government contractors to the politicians who control contracts awarded to them, and ban automatic deductions by corporations, unions, and government employees’ wages to be used for politics.
◼ Union members will still be able to give for political purposes, but they have to give voluntarily each year, in writing.
◼ In 2010, the corporations and unions gave state politicians $48 million. If Prop 32 passes it will significantly limit the power of the unions in California.
◼ Implements reforms evenhandedly, applying each provision to both corporations and unions: These fair and simple reforms reduce the influence of special interests across the board.
Prop 33 - YES
◼ Corrects a flaw in a previous auto insurance coverage law, where if a consumer had a lapse in coverage, for any reason, the insurance company could increase their prices.
◼ With Prop33, if your lapse of coverage was because you served in the military, you are or were unemployed, or if the lapse was only for 90 days, then they cannot increase your prices. You will still qualify for the “continuous coverage” discount offered by auto insurance companies.
Prop 34 - NO
◼ Californians voted for the death penalty in 1978 and since then numerous public opinion polls have shown overwhelming support for the death penalty.
◼ If Prop 34 passes, the 725 death row inmates would become prisoners with life without parole (or LWOP) and integrated into the general LWOP prison community. This would create a very dangerous environment in our prisons, for our prison guards, wardens, and even other prisoners.
◼ The threat of the death penalty is not only a proved, scientific deterrence of crime, but it is also an important tool to assist our state’s District Attorneys in facilitating solving murders or finding victims’ bodies.
Prop 35 - YES
◼ 35 would increase prison terms for human traffickers, require convicted sex traffickers to register as sex offenders, require all registered sex offenders to disclose their internet accounts and activity.
◼ It would require criminal fines from convicted human traffickers to pay for services to help victims and mandate law enforcement training on human trafficking.
◼ The FBI cites three California cities (San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego) as high intensity child sex trafficking areas. Prop 35 would help to protect women and children from this exploitation.
Prop 36 - NO
◼ Prop 36 narrows the Three Strikes Law to provide that its penalties for a third strike (25 years in prison to life in prison) only apply if third strike or a previous strike was for a “serious or violent” felony. The voters opposed a similar bill in 2004, they should do the same in 2012!
◼ When voters approved the Three Strikes law in 1994, our state’s crime rate fell and continues to remain low because of the current law.
◼ If passed, Prop 36 would allow 3,000 criminals to appeal for reduced sentences. Criminals so dangerous that a jury convicted them, a Judge imposed a 25-to-life prison sentence, and criminals so dangerous that their legal appeals were denied.
◼ These same criminals would be allowed to ask a different judge to set them free and worse yet, some of these same criminals would be released WITHOUT ANY PAROLE OR SUPERVISION.
Prop 37 - NO
◼ Prop 37 is billed as “The Right to Know” your food is genetically engineered, but it was written by trial lawyers with the “right to sue” in mind.
◼ Prop 37 would force state bureaucrats to administer complex requirements by monitoring tens of thousands of food labels and tens of thousands of grocery stores, retail outlets, distributors, farms and food companies. This is going to drive up food costs and leave these businesses (especially small businesses) susceptible to costly litigation.
◼ Prop 37 is full of absurd exemptions that make no sense. It requires special labels on soy milk, but exempts cow milk. Tofu requires a label, but meat, poultry, eggs and dairy are exempt. Juice requires a label but alcohol is exempt. Food sold in grocery stores requires a label, but the same food sold in restaurants is exempt.
◼ Food imported from China and other foreign countries are exempt if sellers simply claim their products are “GE” (genetically engineered) free.
Prop 38 - NO
◼ Prop 38 increases personal income tax rates on annual earnings over $7,316 using sliding scale from .4% for lowest individual earners to 2.2% for individuals earning over $2.5 million, for twelve years.
◼ This will drive our top income earners, those providing jobs for the rest of us, out of the state.
◼ Prop 38 would throw $120 billion in new tax dollars into a new unaccountable state bureaucracy.
◼ Prop 38 targets small businesses that file their taxes as individuals and not as corporations. Even businesses that make as little as $30,000 would see their taxes raised.
◼ Hidden in the fine print is a mandate that prohibits any changes to the law until 2024, even in the case of waste, fraud, or abuse.
Prop 39 - NO
◼ Prop 39 requires multistate businesses to calculate their California income tax liability based on the percentage of their sales in California. It repeals existing law giving multistate businesses an option to choose a tax liability formula that provides favorable tax treatment for businesses with property and payroll outside California. This would send profitable businesses out of California in droves. Businesses that provide jobs for most middle class Californians would have no incentives to do business here and would leave.
◼ It would then dedicate $550 million annually for five years from anticipated increase in revenue for the purpose of funding projects that create energy efficiency and clean energy jobs in California.
◼ What proponents don’t realize that if Prop 39 passes, there won’t be any significant revenue to provide for their new clean, green jobs. Because businesses just won’t do business in California.
Prop 40 YES
◼ A “YES” vote means that the state Senate district maps would remain as the Citizen’s Redistricting Commission drew them.
◼ Prop 40 holds politicians accountable with the lines drawn by the independent citizen’s commission. They are no longer guaranteed reelection and are accountable to the voters.
◼ A “NO” vote would reject the senate district maps as drawn by the CRC and a California Supreme Court established committee would redraw the lines. This would cost the taxpayers $500,000 and counties would have costs of $500,000 statewide in order to develop new precinct maps and other election related material.
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