On time budget initiative qualifies

On Friday, May 7, CFT and coalition partners AFSCME and CNA submitted 1.1 million signatures on petitions to place a Majority Vote Budget measure on the state ballot for November 2010.

California is one of just three states that require a two thirds Legislative supermajority to pass a budget.  Under these circumstances, a small minority of legislators controls the state budget process, and ensures the continued decline of funding for public education and other vital social services.  Democracy is supposed to be simple majority rule (50% plus 1).  We have lost democracy in our state budget process, with terrible effects for all of us.

Each year the state budget is held hostage by the legislative minority until the majority agrees to eliminate a tax, or until the majority is forced to agree to additional tax loopholes for special interests.  

Well, it is less than the Majority Rule initiative which did not make it to the ballot.  But, half a loaf is better than none.

73% Support Majority Vote for Revenue and Budget- Poll

POLL: 73% of CA Voters Support Majority Vote For Revenue & Budget A remarkable seventy-three percent of California likely voters support majority rule in the legislature for both revenue and budget, a new poll by David Binder of DB-Research shows. The poll was conducted March 6 -11, 2010 on behalf of Californians for Democracy. This is overwhelming support for the California Democracy Act, a November 2010 ballot initiative that states, "All legislative actions on revenue and budget must be determined by a majority vote." The California Democracy Act would change two words in the California Constitution, from "two-thirds" to "a majority" in two places, eliminating the controversial "two-thirds" rules. "The overwhelming majority of California voters want a voice in how California is governed," said UC Professor George Lakoff, author of the measure. "Most voters are frustrated that they have had no influence in the legislature." The two-thirds rules presently allow a minority of little more than one-third of the legislators to control how the state is run by blocking the raising of necessary revenue and the passage of a budget. When asked, "In a democracy, a majority of legislators should be able to pass everyday legislation," a 71 percent majority said yes. When asked, "In a democracy, a minority of legislators should be able to block everyday legislation," a 68 percent majority said no. At present, a 63 percent majority in the legislature is being blocked by a 37 percent minority on everyday legislation. The two-thirds rules permit this because just about every piece of everyday legislation requires revenue and must be part of the budget. Another striking poll result concerned taxes. When asked, "Do you support or oppose solving the budget crisis by closing tax loopholes on corporations and charging oil companies an extraction fee without raising taxes on the lower and middle income Californians," a 62 percent majority said they supported the proposal. For more information on this initiative go to www.CaliforniansForDemocracy.com.

Send e mail to qualify initiative for democracy

Please take ten minutes to join me in an effort that I think can save the State of California from some of its worst problems.  The California Democracy Act is fourteen words long, probably the shortest initiative petition in state history: All legislative actions on revenue and budget must be made by a majority vote.  This simple initiative would end the 2/3 rule that has left the state in the hands of a small group of conservatives determined to prevent the government from protecting and empowering residents—a tyranny of the minority. Here’s what you can do to help:             OPEN THE ATTACHMENT AND PRINT IT (DO NOT SHRINK OR ENLARGE IT; PRINT IT ONLY AT 100%, SINGLE SIDED, ON WHITE, 8.5" X 11" PAPER ONLY)  If you have trouble opening the attachment, you can also access the petition at www.californiansfordemocracy.com SIGN THE PETITION AND SEND IT TO THE CAMPAIGN (INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN ATTACHMENT) SEND THIS EMAIL TO YOUR FRIENDS (WITH THE ATTACHMENT, the attachment will not load on this blog), URGING THEM TO SUPPORT THIS MEASURE. If you have questions about why this initiative is so important, I will add a few comments below.   For more information you can visit the websites,www.californiansfordemocracy.com and www.ca4democracy.com, or listen to a speech by George Lakoff at http://vimeo.com/9643324, or email me directly. I have been working very hard to get this initiative on the ballot because the 2/3 rule is largely responsible for the deterioration of California—K-12 education, the state colleges and universities, the state parks, the social service net, the transportation infrastructure—the list goes on of essential services that are not getting adequate funding.  California could raise money by taxing oil extraction (as they do in Texas and Alaska ), taxing the super-rich (the state has more than its share) and other measures that would not burden most of us.  But as few as 14 people in the State Senate can stop any of these progressive actions—and they do, over and over again. The initiative process was intended to enable people to participate directly in government, but was commandeered by big business.  The California Democracy Act is a volunteer, grassroots effort with no special interest funding.  Can we prevail against the odds?  You can help make history!  Please sign the petition! Time is of the essence.  After April 5, it will be too late to get on the November ballot and we will need to start all over again.

For more information see www.cd4d.org.
The link on the left

California Democracy Campaign

The campaign for majority rule has a new web site.

http://www.ca4democracy.com/

In the last two years California’s  k-12 schools have received over a  $16 Billion  cut back.  California presently ranks  45th  of the states in per pupil spending and last among the states in class size.  Now, the Governor proposes to reduce  k-12 spending by another  $2.4 Billion. The U.C’s and the CSU campuses have suffered over a  $2 billion cut while tuition and fees were increased over 30%.  Classes have been cut, graduation delayed, and faculty dismissed.  They must not be cut more.  We must work together to save public education.

For 2010, the Governor proposes  further draconian cuts in Cal Works, IHSS, Medi Cal and Children’s nutrition  among others-  each of which hurts the  poor in our state.   State  budget cuts make the crisis worse. They create more unemployment. The legislature must hear from us.

To respond to these cuts, California needs majority rule.  We must eliminate the 2/3 rule on budgets and revenue.  Sign the California Democracy Act initiative.

What caused this crisis?

“The reality is that we got into this mess because of an overwhelming excess of greed and stupidity on the part of the Wall Street bankers and the people deciding economic policy. “ Dean Baker.  Economist.  The bankers and finance capital caused this crisis- make them pay for it!

You Can End the Crisis in California!

Year after year our state continues its downward spiral:

financial crisis, gridlock, and the deterioration of our

public services: schools, parks, health care, public safety,

assistance for the poor, elderly, and disabled.

There’s one main reason:

Under California law, a two-thirds vote is required to pass

a budget or raise revenue. That means a minority of

legislators -- one-third plus one, in either the state Senate

or Assembly –– controls the legislature by saying no until

they get what they want. This is minority rule, not democracy.

The solution: bring democracy to California.

The Progressive Alliance has joined the California Majority Rule campaign; and we encourage you to join and work with us.

Sign up now at http://www.ca4democracy.com/

Get regular information. Make a contribution, large or small. Help gather signatures to put the  initiative on the November 2010 ballot. Join our speakers’ bureau, to speak at civic groups or to  help book speakers at events. Become an organizer. There are lots of ways for you to help!

Volunteer now!

Thank you for your participation

Lets qualify the majority rule campaign

Initiative campaign for majority rule

The  California Majority Rule campaign is presently circulating petitions to place an initiative on the  California ballot for majority rule- that is for democracy.  And, we invite you to join us.

California is in deep trouble because it has a anti democratic limits on the legislature.  George Lakoff  sent to the Attorney General a ballot proposition for the 2010 ballot called The California Democracy Act,  which simply says,

All legislative action on revenue and budget must be determined by a majority vote.

It’s just  this one sentence.  It would change two words in the Constitution, turning "two-thirds" to "majority" in two places.

Democracy is the main issue in  here.  More democracy  is required for progress on the budget.  The two-thirds rules have an anti-democratic effect. Our legislature is currently under minority rule. One-third plus one -- only 34% -- of either the Assembly or Senate can and do  block the will of the majority.  

 Readers know well that minority rule has produced a  stalemate in the legislature and regressive budgets.   Changing the vote requirement to a majority for budget and revenue will allow  the  budget to  meet the state's needs and be passed on time.

Can this work? It can, with your  support.  Qualifying this initiative requires  a serious campaign making the case for democracy  and allowing the voters to see that minority rule is the root of the problem.

The campaign  needs county and precinct workers, fund raisers, and media workers.  All work is volunteer.

If  your are willing to help, if you want to bring more democracy to California,  go to  www.trivalleydems.com/CA4D.htm.

Duane Campbell,

Sacramento County. Majority Rule Campaign

for volunteers in the Sacramento Region, contact campd227@pacbell.net 

Repeal the 2/3 Vote requirement for taxes and the budget

When teachers argue that school funding should not be cut, we are told by the  Republicans in the legislature that there is not choice, there just is no money.

Well, that is not really true.  Here is where reasonable people would get the revenue.

1.     Repeal the September 2008 and February 2009 tax cuts.  As a part of the Sept. 2008 and Feb. 2009 budget deals, the legislature created huge new corporate tax breaks.  That right.  To respond to a budget crisis, they gave new tax reductions to corporations.  These take effect in 2011 and will make the budget crisis worse.  What is to be done ? Repeal of tax credit sharing to  raise 2009-10 revenues by $80 million, over time, the permanent tax cuts will cost the state $2.0 billion to $2.5 billion.

2.      Reinstate 10 percent and 11 percent tax rates to 1991 levels, adjusted for inflation. The February tax increases disproportionately affect low- and middle-income taxpayers. Reinstatement of the top brackets would restore balance to the state’s tax system and raise $4 billion to $6 billion in additional revenues.

3.     Impose on oil severance tax. California is the only oil producing jurisdiction in the world without a severance tax. A tax of 9.9 percent, such as that proposed by the Governor, would raise upwards of $1 billion dollars.

We, the people, own this oil.  It is under California soil.  Oil companies only take it out.  They should pay to take our oil out of the ground and to sell it to us.  Even arch conservative Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska have oil severance taxes.

To achieve these goals, we need to repeal the 2/3 vote rule and allow the majority to rule.