President/ Vice President
Barack Obama/ Joe Biden
Proposition 30: HANDEL VOTING YES
Increases personal income tax on annual earnings over $250,000 for seven years. Increases sales and use tax by ¼ cent for four years. Allocates temporary tax revenues 89 percent to K-12 schools and 11 percent to community colleges.
Bill says: I am now voting for every tax increase in CA on any level, for any reason, under any circumstance. I have come to the conclusion that the only way we have a chance of straightening out this state is to go over the cliff as quickly as possible.
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Proposition 31: HANDEL VOTING YES
Establishes two-year state budget cycle. Prohibits Legislature from creating expenditures of more than $25 million unless offsetting revenues or spending cuts are identified. Permits Governor to cut budget unilaterally during declared fiscal emergencies if Legislature fails to act.
Bill says: This is a proposition that connects spending to revenues. I believe the legislature will adhere to this proposition much like I believe pigs can fly.
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Proposition 32: HANDEL VOTING YES
Restricts union political fundraising by prohibiting use of payroll-deducted funds for political purposes. Same use restriction would apply to payroll deductions, if any, by corporations or government contractors. Permits voluntary employee contributions to employer or union committees if authorized yearly, in writing. Prohibits unions and corporations from contributing directly or indirectly to candidates and candidate-controlled committees.
Bill says: An absolute, unbelievable, profound YES! All you have to do is look at the backers, who are all unions. This bill limits the way the unions collect political money from members. Currently, union dues, used for political campaigns, are automatically deducted from the members who have no say whether or not they want to contribute or where the money is going. This bill takes away that power and eviscerates the union’s ability to automatically raise tens of millions of dollars without having to actually having to ask the members.
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Proposition 33: HANDEL VOTING YES
Changes current law to permit insurance companies to set prices based on whether the driver previously carried auto insurance with any insurance company. Allows insurance companies to give proportional discounts to drivers with some prior insurance coverage. Will allow insurance companies to increase cost of insurance to drivers who have not maintained continuous coverage.
Bill says: Sure, why not?
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Proposition 34: HANDEL VOTING NO
Repeals death penalty as maximum punishment for persons found guilty of murder and replaces it with life imprisonment without possibility of parole. Applies retroactively to persons already sentenced to death. Requires persons found guilty of murder to work while in prison, with their wages to be applied to any victim restitution fines or orders against them.
Bill says: It has simply become too expensive and unwieldy to execute anyone in CA anymore. The death penalty opponents have won this battle by simply making sure that it now takes 30 years and millions of dollars to execute anyone. If the bill passes, any convicted killer (no matter how heinous the crime) will now be put in the general population. The only good that could come out of this, is hopefully the killer will be sodomized several times a day for the rest of his life…. Preferably by his 6’8", 320 lb. boyfriend. Since a 'no' means many more tax dollars will be spent to defend these cockroaches, I am voting NO. (SEE PROP 30 ANALYSIS FOR WHY)
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Proposition 35: HANDEL VOTING NO (It's sarcasm, people. Read on...)
Increases criminal penalties for human trafficking, including prison sentences up to 15-years-to-life and fines up to $1,500,000. Fines collected to be used for victim services and law enforcement. Requires person convicted of trafficking to register as sex offender.
Bill says: I am voting NO. Just because I have a tremendous urge to be beaten to a pulp as soon as I leave the radio station. Who would ever vote no to a proposition that increases penalties for human trafficking. (If you haven't figured it out, I am really voting YES)
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Propostition 36: HANDEL VOTING NO
Revises three strikes law to impose life sentence only when new felony conviction is serious or violent. Authorizes re-sentencing for offenders currently serving life sentences if third strike conviction was not serious or violent and judge determines sentence does not pose unreasonable risk to public safety.
Bill says: I am voting NO. The three strikes law as it is used today simply costs way too much money. There are people in jail for 25 years convicted of a fairly minor third strike. It's no big deal if a third striker burglarizes a home. I’m not concerned. But, that is mainly because I live in a gated community.
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Proposition 37: HANDEL VOTING YES
Requires labeling on raw or processed food offered for sale to consumers if made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways. Prohibits labeling or advertising such food as “natural.”
Bill says: I love the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods because I love genetically engineered foods. This gives me a chance to specifically select those food that are genetically modified (which I think happen to taste better). There are holes in this initiative that are big enough to drive a truck through. However, this is a first step. I’m a huge believer in transparency.
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Proposition 38: HANDEL VOTING YES
Increases personal income tax rates for annual earnings over $7,316 using sliding scale from 0.4% for lowest individual earners to 2.2% for individuals earning over $2.5 million, ending after twelve years. During first four years, 60% of revenues go to K-12 schools, 30% to repaying state debt, and 10% to early childhood programs. Thereafter, allocates 85% of revenues to K-12 schools, 15% to early childhood programs.
Bill says: Yes -- See Proposition 30.
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Proposition 39: HANDEL VOTING YES
Requires multistate businesses to calculate their California income tax liability based on the percentage of their sales in California. Repeals existing law giving multistate businesses an option to choose a tax liability formula that provides favorable tax treatment for businesses with property and payroll outside California.
Bill says: YES! I like the idea of businesses outside of CA who sell in CA pay the same taxes. My business does, it happens to be in CA.
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Proposition 40: HANDEL VOTING NO
State Senate districts are revised every ten years following the federal census. This year, the voter-approved California Citizens Redistricting Commission revised the boundaries of the 40 Senate districts. This referendum petition, if signed by the required number of registered voters and filed with the Secretary of State, will: (1) Place the revised State Senate boundaries on the ballot and prevent them from taking effect unless approved by the voters at the next statewide election; and (2) Require court-appointed officials to set interim boundaries for use in the next statewide election.
Bill says: I am voting NO! I like the idea of CA Supreme court over seeing redistricting. There are less people to bribe. Anytime we can take this kind of power away from elected politicians and give it to the CA Supreme Court, I believe that the outcome becomes less biased.
