As we go to the ballot box for the third time this year it is with the realization that the outcomes will determine the future of California's infrastructure and Carlsbad's planning process.
The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce has taken the following positions on the November 2006 general election ballot initiatives. When voting on Tuesday, November 7 we encourage you to vote YES on the following propositions:
1A-E: This is a group of propositions put on the ballot by the Governor and State Legislature to improve the State's aging infrastructure. If passed, the State would be allowed to sell $38 billion in general obligation bonds to: improve transportation (Prop 1B), fund 13 housing and development programs (1C), provide funds for K-12 and higher education facilities (1D) and flood management programs (1E). Prop 1A requires Prop 42 suspensions to be treated as loans to the general fund, which must be repaid in full.
Prop 84: Allows for the selling of general obligation bonds for safe drinking water, water quality and supply; flood control, natural resource protection and park improvements.
Prop P: Allows Carlsbad Unified School District to bond $198 million for school improvements.
Prop T: Allows Tri-City Medical Center to bond $598 million to build a new, state-of-the-art Hospital.
We encourage you to vote NO on the following propositions:
Prop 87: Would increase California oil taxes by $4 billion and create a new state bureaucracy of 50 political appointees to spend it with no accountability to taxpayers and no requirement of producing any results.
Prop 88: Adds a new statewide property tax, assesses and collects the new tax from 10 million-plus property owners statewide.
Prop 89: Raises taxes on all incorporated California businesses, including small businesses, to pay for public financing of candidates for state office.
Prop A: Joint use of Miramar MCAS. (This would compromise base security and the security of stored weapons and military equipment.)
Prop E: The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce has taken the lead to oppose Prop E. Below you will find several reasons why Proposition E is bad for Carlsbad.
Prop. E forever fences off land from public use. The land in question is currently zoned as open space, which allows for agricultural use, parks, trails, open air amphitheaters, access to the south shore of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, but not residential or commercial development. Prop E will change the land to Coastal Agricultural, which would be a new land use designation in Carlsbad which doesn't allow for parks, trails, access to the lagoon or the AHLF Discovery Center. Not only would Coastal Ag be a new zoning designation in the City of Carlsbad, but it would also allow for the development of a Bed and Breakfast, Mobile Home park for migrant housing, Commercial storage, animal grazing and a slaughter house.
Carlsbad taxpayers cannot afford Prop. E. The City of Carlsbad commissioned an unbiased fiscal impact report (Elections Code, Section 9212) to assess the implementation costs of Prop E; these costs would be somewhere between $28.5 and $36.5 million of Carlsbad taxpayer dollars. Not to mention, Prop E will result in costly litigation from landowners claiming a loss of private property rights. Furthermore, it would force the city to spend taxpayer funds to ensure agricultural uses "by whatever means practicable." The City of Carlsbad and its taxpayers should not be in the farming business.
Prop. E prevents public input into future uses. If it passes, Prop E will take away the public's voice on future uses, since the land will only be zoned for agriculture, regardless of whether or not someone actually wants to farm it. One of the land owners, SDG&E, has already indicated that it will not use its land for farming beyond 2006.
We strongly urge you to vote NO on Prop E. For more information about Prop E (www.NoOnPropE.com), or any of the November ballot propositions log on to www.carlsbad.org.
The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce has taken the following positions on the November 2006 general election ballot initiatives. When voting on Tuesday, November 7 we encourage you to vote YES on the following propositions:
1A-E: This is a group of propositions put on the ballot by the Governor and State Legislature to improve the State's aging infrastructure. If passed, the State would be allowed to sell $38 billion in general obligation bonds to: improve transportation (Prop 1B), fund 13 housing and development programs (1C), provide funds for K-12 and higher education facilities (1D) and flood management programs (1E). Prop 1A requires Prop 42 suspensions to be treated as loans to the general fund, which must be repaid in full.
Prop 84: Allows for the selling of general obligation bonds for safe drinking water, water quality and supply; flood control, natural resource protection and park improvements.
Prop P: Allows Carlsbad Unified School District to bond $198 million for school improvements.
Prop T: Allows Tri-City Medical Center to bond $598 million to build a new, state-of-the-art Hospital.
We encourage you to vote NO on the following propositions:
Prop 87: Would increase California oil taxes by $4 billion and create a new state bureaucracy of 50 political appointees to spend it with no accountability to taxpayers and no requirement of producing any results.
Prop 88: Adds a new statewide property tax, assesses and collects the new tax from 10 million-plus property owners statewide.
Prop 89: Raises taxes on all incorporated California businesses, including small businesses, to pay for public financing of candidates for state office.
Prop A: Joint use of Miramar MCAS. (This would compromise base security and the security of stored weapons and military equipment.)
Prop E: The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce has taken the lead to oppose Prop E. Below you will find several reasons why Proposition E is bad for Carlsbad.
Prop. E forever fences off land from public use. The land in question is currently zoned as open space, which allows for agricultural use, parks, trails, open air amphitheaters, access to the south shore of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, but not residential or commercial development. Prop E will change the land to Coastal Agricultural, which would be a new land use designation in Carlsbad which doesn't allow for parks, trails, access to the lagoon or the AHLF Discovery Center. Not only would Coastal Ag be a new zoning designation in the City of Carlsbad, but it would also allow for the development of a Bed and Breakfast, Mobile Home park for migrant housing, Commercial storage, animal grazing and a slaughter house.
Carlsbad taxpayers cannot afford Prop. E. The City of Carlsbad commissioned an unbiased fiscal impact report (Elections Code, Section 9212) to assess the implementation costs of Prop E; these costs would be somewhere between $28.5 and $36.5 million of Carlsbad taxpayer dollars. Not to mention, Prop E will result in costly litigation from landowners claiming a loss of private property rights. Furthermore, it would force the city to spend taxpayer funds to ensure agricultural uses "by whatever means practicable." The City of Carlsbad and its taxpayers should not be in the farming business.
Prop. E prevents public input into future uses. If it passes, Prop E will take away the public's voice on future uses, since the land will only be zoned for agriculture, regardless of whether or not someone actually wants to farm it. One of the land owners, SDG&E, has already indicated that it will not use its land for farming beyond 2006.
We strongly urge you to vote NO on Prop E. For more information about Prop E (www.NoOnPropE.com), or any of the November ballot propositions log on to www.carlsbad.org.