2008 Woodie Awards
Help! My ballot is written by lawyers!
Confused about the upcoming election?
Donald Bunce
Issue date: 10/26/06 Section: Opinion
You did the right thing.
Whether you registered at the DMV, got trapped by one of those paid signature gatherers, or actually went out and did it all on your own without any prodding or threats, you're now a real-life voter. You're now one of the responsible people. All you have to do is read the stuff and vote…or so you thought.
And then you got the voter guide-all 191 pages of it. Not something written in English, or Spanish, or even Tagalog. No…this is lawyerspeak. Your job as John (or Jane) Q. Voter just got a lot harder. So how do you deal with this?
We have just the tool for you. Here's simple explanations for some of the stuff on the ballot in November….
Proposition 1A: Makes sure that the gas tax you pay at the pump will only be used to pay for transportation projects, unless the state is in a budget emergency.
Proposition 1B: Lets California sell about 20 billion in bonds to pay for transportation improvements (like roads) now, rather than paying as they go.
Proposition 1C: Lets California sell 2.85 billion dollars in bonds to pay for things like homeless shelters, farmworker housing and other programs.
Proposition 1D: More bonds-this time, $10.4 billion for building and upgrading schools from kindergarten through four-year universities.
Proposition 1E: $4.1 billion to fix the levees in California, in case of a severe flood.
Exhausted yet? Just a few more to go…
Prop. 83: Increases penalties and tougher rules on sex offenders-longer prison terms and longer paroles. They couldn't live near a school or park, and would have to wear electronic devices so they could be tracked by the state.
Prop. 84: Bonds! 5.4 billion dollars worth to improve parks, improve drinking water, and protect the environment. Also has money in it for flood control.
Prop. 85: Would require a doctor to tell the parents of a girl who's under the age of 18 that she will having an abortion. It wouldn't require consent from the parents, and the parents would not have to be notified if a juvenile court approves instead.
Whether you registered at the DMV, got trapped by one of those paid signature gatherers, or actually went out and did it all on your own without any prodding or threats, you're now a real-life voter. You're now one of the responsible people. All you have to do is read the stuff and vote…or so you thought.
And then you got the voter guide-all 191 pages of it. Not something written in English, or Spanish, or even Tagalog. No…this is lawyerspeak. Your job as John (or Jane) Q. Voter just got a lot harder. So how do you deal with this?
We have just the tool for you. Here's simple explanations for some of the stuff on the ballot in November….
Proposition 1A: Makes sure that the gas tax you pay at the pump will only be used to pay for transportation projects, unless the state is in a budget emergency.
Proposition 1B: Lets California sell about 20 billion in bonds to pay for transportation improvements (like roads) now, rather than paying as they go.
Proposition 1C: Lets California sell 2.85 billion dollars in bonds to pay for things like homeless shelters, farmworker housing and other programs.
Proposition 1D: More bonds-this time, $10.4 billion for building and upgrading schools from kindergarten through four-year universities.
Proposition 1E: $4.1 billion to fix the levees in California, in case of a severe flood.
Exhausted yet? Just a few more to go…
Prop. 83: Increases penalties and tougher rules on sex offenders-longer prison terms and longer paroles. They couldn't live near a school or park, and would have to wear electronic devices so they could be tracked by the state.
Prop. 84: Bonds! 5.4 billion dollars worth to improve parks, improve drinking water, and protect the environment. Also has money in it for flood control.
Prop. 85: Would require a doctor to tell the parents of a girl who's under the age of 18 that she will having an abortion. It wouldn't require consent from the parents, and the parents would not have to be notified if a juvenile court approves instead.
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