I have been sort of half-heartedly following the California ballot initiatives, and I have to admit I'm a bit confused as to the Democratic position against some of them. Since I know that this site is full of knowledgeable, smart people when it comes to the minutae of policy, I'm hoping you can help me out. I'm not a Californian, but it seems these ballot initiatives speak to issues that are nationwide, so I feel like a better understanding of them will be helpful.
The propositions, along with my questions, on the flip.
Update: Ask and ye shall recieve. Very good explanations everyone, and even a little dissent, with cogent counterarguments. That's why I love this site. Thanks, all.
Prop 73 -- Proposition 73 requires that physicians notify the parent of a pregnant minor at least 48 hours before performing an abortion.
No questions here. Even the Governator doesn't support this one.
Prop 74 -- Proposition 74 extends the probationary period for new teachers from 2 years to 5 years, and makes it easier to dismiss teachers with unsatisfactory performance evaluations.
Seems somewhat ok to me, though I would be much more impressed if it included ways to attract better teachers to go along with the increased competition.
Prop 75 -- Proposition 75 prohibits public employee unions from using union dues for political purposes without the written consent of union members.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding this, but it seems fair to me. I have to admit, being from a pretty much non-union state (NC) my understanding of organized labor is somewhat lacking.
Prop 76 -- Proposition 76 limits growth in state spending so that it does not exceed recent growth in state revenues. The Governor would be granted new authority to reduce state spending, [including school funding,] during certain fiscal situations.
Depending on what 'certain fiscal situations' means, I could support this, but then I'm pretty conservative fiscally.
Prop 77 -- Proposition 77 changes the way California draws boundaries for Congressional and legislative districts. District boundaries would be drawn by a panel of retired judges and approved by voters in a statewide election.
This has been well explained in this diary's comments
So, fellow Kossacks, I turn to you to help me understand these issues. If I was a Californian, and I was voting today, I would likely vote:
Prop 73 - NO!
Prop 74 - Yes
Prop 75 - Yes
Prop 76 - Yes
Prop 77 - No
It seems on here that all the Props are pretty well opposed, so I'm hoping you all can explain the underlying reason for the opposition.