politics

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UCLA Luskin School Ballot Proposition Forum: 11-1-2012 (audio)

Byuclafaculty

Today’s forum at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs featured a discussion of the November 2012 California ballot propositions including those dealing with taxes and the state budget.  You can hear the audio of the discussion at the link below.  Guest speakers were Assemblyman Cameron Smyth, second-highest ranking Republican in the state assembly, and former Democratic Governor Gray Davis. The full program runs about one and a quarter hours:

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Another poll shows the slide of Prop 30

Byuclafaculty

The California Field Poll shows the slide below 50%. Prop 30 – the governor’s tax initiative that has been endorsed by the Regents – had been marginally above 50% until recently.  It could still pass since the undecided voters have to vote yes or no and if most vote yes, it will have a majority.  Nonetheless, the position of Prop 30 is precarious. As readers of this blog will know, the revenue estimated to be produced by Prop 30 is built into the current fiscal year state budget.  Trigger cuts are also built into the budget if it fails, including…

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Repeal of Trigger if Prop 30 Fails: Don’t Count on It

Byuclafaculty

Various reports are floating around in the newspapers today about plans in the legislature to kill the trigger cuts that are part of the current budget and that will occur if Prop 30 – the governor’s tax initiative – initiative.  Included in the trigger is a cut of $250 million for UC.   Don’t count on it!  In theory, anything can be changed in the budget.  In theory, the governor could go along with voiding the trigger and not veto such a measure.  In theory, the legislature could come up with a two-thirds vote to override such a veto, if it…

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Anti-Prop 30 Group May Have to Cough Up Information

Byuclafaculty

A conservative Arizona political group is likely going to have to turn over confidential documents about its donors, under a tentative ruling issued late Tuesday by a Sacramento judge.  At issue is the $11 million contribution by Americans for Responsible Leadership to a California political action committee trying to help pass Proposition 32 (paycheck protection) and kill Proposition 30 (Gov. Brown’s tax initiative).  State officials have called the cash “the largest known anonymous donation in the history of California politics,” and want to audit the group’s books to see whether the identities of the donors must be made public.  The…

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The Third Tax Proposition (39)

Byuclafaculty

You have seen TV ads for Prop 39, the “Steyer” initiative that closes a loophole in the corporate profits tax that emerged from a 2009 budget deal and earmarks a chunk of the money raised for green energy projects.  But you haven’t seen any TV ads against Prop 39 because there has not been much of a campaign against it.  Part of the reason is that important elements of the local business community that feel the loophole gives competitors an advantage and thus favor Prop 39.  Those parts of the business community that oppose 39 have not chosen to fund…

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Some qualifications needed

Byuclafaculty

In an opinion piece today in the Sacramento Bee, columnist Dan Walters slams CSU for its political activities.  An earlier posting on this blog noted that CSU had an official political scorecard that rated members of the state legislature available online indicating how well or poorly they supported CSU goals.  You can find it at:http://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2012/10/lawsuit-filed-against-csu-campus-over.html UC gets dragged into his column at various points so some comments are in order. Below are some excerpts in italics:==The California State University system has traditionally been the steady workhorse of California higher education, generating the engineers, teachers, accountants and middle-managers that any society…

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Poll Close to Home

Byuclafaculty

The Daily Bruin has an article on student knowledge about Prop 30 indicating that a majority were not familiar with the initiative.  Prop 30 – the governor’s tax initiative – has been endorsed by the UC Regents.  If it doesn’t pass, there will be trigger cuts to the state budget including $250 million to UC.  Note that the poll was done in late September and early October.  Presumably, the level of awareness has risen, particularly after the visit of Governor Brown to the campus on behalf of Prop 30. However, as yours truly notes in a quote in the article,…

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Ballot Proposition Forum Nov. 1

Byuclafaculty

Campus Program on Ballot Propositions: Nov. 1 The UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment present: Death and Taxes (and other hot topics): Debating the 2012 California Ballot Propositions  with Gray Davis, Luskin Distinguished Policy Fellow, and Cameron Smyth, Luskin Senior Fellow California voters face big decisions on the 2012 ballot initiatives. From tax policy to the death penalty to genetically modified food labeling, a lot is at stake on the ballot. Join us for an educational and informative forum to analyze the initiatives. TIME Thursday, November 1, from 12:15 – 1:45 pm (Note: An earlier version…

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Gov. Brown’s Prop 30 Tax Below 50% in Two Major Polls

Byuclafaculty

Above are the results from the PPIC poll.  Both Prop 30 (Brown’s tax) and Prop 38 (Molly Munger school tax) are below 50%.  The Munger tax has been a loser all along but Prop 30 had been marginally ahead in prior polling.  More detail from the PPIC poll are below: Source: http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/survey/S_1012MBS.pdf The LA Times-USC poll shows similar results: You can see that poll in detail at: http://www.gqrr.com/images/stories/latusc.fq.102512.pdf If Prop 30 fails, trigger cuts are built into the current state budget.  UC would have a $250 million cut.  Tuition would likely be raised.  In theory, the legislature could repeal the trigger…