Dear Friends,

Often as activists, we participate in this phone bank or that march and less often do we have a chance to have robust discussion about the policies that affect us. Many times we are simply reacting to what policymakers have already done or working in our own issue corner toward one particular goal.

We have a chance next to week not only to discuss the broad policy issues facing Southern California, but we can do it with the advocates who have a strong voice in shaping these policies.

Join me at the 2010 Pat Brown Institute Annual California Policy Issues Conference "Los Angeles 2010 and Beyond: Moving the Southland Forward".

WHEN: Thursday, November 4
WHERE: California State University, Los Angeles Campus
COST: $50

Some of the discussion topics include: A Sustainable Future: Housing and Transportation; Political Dynamics in the Southland: Structures, Coalitions, Reforms, and Bell; and Immigration and Immigrant Communities: Integration and Settlement in the Southland.

Read about these and other topics here.


Election Day -- November 2 -- is right around the corner. Here is a quick voter guide based on California Common Cause's analysis of four propositions.

Proposition 20 - Support
Currently, congressional district lines are drawn by the state legislature, which in the past has simply enacted the gerrymandered maps that incumbents wanted. Prop. 20 would extend the work of the voter-approved independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw California's congressional district lines, in addition to the state district lines. California Common Cause supports extending the same rules of transparency and public participation to congressional redistricting.

Proposition 25 – Support
Currently, to pass a budget, the state legislature has to muster a two-thirds vote, resulting in budgets that are routinely late and laden with special interest giveaways. Prop. 25 will allow voters to hold elected officials accountable for passing an on-time budget and dock their pay if the budget is late. California Common Cause supports Prop. 25 and the simple majority requirement.

Proposition 26 – Oppose
Currently, the state legislature can impose fees with a simple majority vote. Prop 26 would require a two-thirds majority to assess fees. California Common Cause opposes Prop. 26, because we believe that majority rule is how our government should operate, and be held accountable both for what it does and for what it fails to do.

Proposition 27 – Oppose
Voters approved Prop. 11 in 2008 to create a new Citizens Redistricting Commission to make the once-a-decade line drawing process open and transparent. Prop. 27 aims to dismantle our hard-fought reforms. California Common Cause opposes Prop. 27 as a power grab by politicians who want abolish the voter-approved citizens commission and give power to draw district lines back to the state legislature.

Find information on who your representative accepted money from and how they voted on those issues at http://maplight.org/california.

Find out who the biggest donors are to ballot campaigns and where the money is coming from for gubernatorial, statewide and legislative races at http://www.fppc.ca.gov/index.php?id=203

Sincerely,

Kathay Feng
and the rest of the team at California Common Cause