The Californian
California has a rich tradition of citizens taking control through the initiative process. Nothing should be done to diminish that.
However, the Public Policy Institute of California has released an interesting report on possible reforms of the process. The 20-page report released in October concludes with three proposals:
• Connect the legislative and initiative processes. Nearly 80 percent of those surveyed by the institute supported the idea of having initiative sponsors meet with legislators to seek compromises before an issue is placed on the ballot.
Read More: here.
Though some members expressed reservations about a new $45 million police station, the Salinas City Council unanimously passed a nonbinding spending plan for Measure K revenue Tuesday. The Nov. 3 ballot initiative would raise the sales tax 1 cent per dollar. If passed, it’s expected to generate $18 million or more annually.
Campaign fundraising is off to a slow start for supporters and opponents of Measure K, the sales tax hike initiative in Salinas. Under the measure, the tax would rise 1 cent per dollar. The Yes on K campaign also known as A Penny for Peace aims to raise $90,000 for the Nov. 3 ballot measure. But it received just $4,210 in contributions through Sept. 19, according to campaign finance statements, two months after the City Council decided to put the initiative before voters.
The California Supreme Court declared that the city of Salinas did not violate the law in its campaign against a tax-cutting measure. City Measure O, which failed after the city launched a campaign against it in 2002, would have cut the city’s utility tax by almost $8 million. Supporters of that measure fear that this decision will lead to more taxpayer-funded campaigning.