It is very important to note that California will have three elections in 2008, Feb. 5, June 3 and Nov. 4, to determine numerous ballot measures, a new president, Congressional leaders, state Assembly members and, locally, two city council members.
During the Feb. 5 election, you will vote for the candidate you would best like to represent your political party in November and on seven ballot measures that will affect the state of California. Since Feb. 5 is Mardi Gras, maybe you'll get beads for voting. In any matter, we encourage everyone to vote.
Here are the positions the Carlsbad Chamber has taken on the February ballot measures:
• Proposition 91, Support: This measure will keep transportation funding from being used to fund budget shortfalls and requires quick payback if transportation funds are borrowed to fund other projects.
• Proposition 92, Oppose: This measure could cost taxpayers millions in new spending. It also includes no plan to pay for the increased spending and would leave legislators to decide to raise sales or income taxes, levy new taxes on other items or cut funding to public education, health care and programs for the disabled. The California Legislative Analyst's Office estimates the increased spending will reach nearly a billion dollars after three years.
• Proposition 93, Oppose: This measure claims it will limit legislators' time in office from 14 to 12 years. However, legislators can currently only spend six years in the Assembly and eight years in the Senate. Prop. 93 would allow for 12 years in either the Assembly or Senate. This is a purely political bill designed by the would be termed out Senate Pro Temp and Assembly Speaker.
• Propositions 94, 95, 96 and 97, Support: These are the tribal gaming compacts, which will help smaller tribes that do not have gaming by giving them larger amounts of money. These propositions will require gaming tribes to pay 25 percent of their revenues to the state, which will result in billions of dollars over the next 20 years without the need to raise taxes.
During the Feb. 5 election, you will vote for the candidate you would best like to represent your political party in November and on seven ballot measures that will affect the state of California. Since Feb. 5 is Mardi Gras, maybe you'll get beads for voting. In any matter, we encourage everyone to vote.
Here are the positions the Carlsbad Chamber has taken on the February ballot measures:
• Proposition 91, Support: This measure will keep transportation funding from being used to fund budget shortfalls and requires quick payback if transportation funds are borrowed to fund other projects.
• Proposition 92, Oppose: This measure could cost taxpayers millions in new spending. It also includes no plan to pay for the increased spending and would leave legislators to decide to raise sales or income taxes, levy new taxes on other items or cut funding to public education, health care and programs for the disabled. The California Legislative Analyst's Office estimates the increased spending will reach nearly a billion dollars after three years.
• Proposition 93, Oppose: This measure claims it will limit legislators' time in office from 14 to 12 years. However, legislators can currently only spend six years in the Assembly and eight years in the Senate. Prop. 93 would allow for 12 years in either the Assembly or Senate. This is a purely political bill designed by the would be termed out Senate Pro Temp and Assembly Speaker.
• Propositions 94, 95, 96 and 97, Support: These are the tribal gaming compacts, which will help smaller tribes that do not have gaming by giving them larger amounts of money. These propositions will require gaming tribes to pay 25 percent of their revenues to the state, which will result in billions of dollars over the next 20 years without the need to raise taxes.