During the special election on
November 8, 2005, several measures will be on
the ballot that will impact the state and local
economy. We urge Elk Grove Chamber members to
inform your employees and colleagues about the
election and the issues.
ELK GROVE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BALLOT POSITIONS
Prop. 74 - The Put
Kids First Act—Vote
YES
Changes teacher tenure from two to five years
and gives school districts the ability to
terminate a teacher after two consecutive
unsatisfactory performance evaluations.
Prop. 75 -
Paycheck Protection Act—Vote
YES
Gives public employees the choice of whether
they want their union dues spent on political
campaigns; will require public employee unions
to receive annual written consent from members
before the member's dues may be used for
political purposes; will not prevent unions from
collecting political contributions, but those
contributions will be voluntary, rather than
mandatory.
Prop. 76 - The
Live Within Our Means Act—Vote
YES
Reforms state budget process to eliminate wide
fluctuations in spending by capping spending to
a rolling average of the previous three budget
years, allows the Governor and legislature to
agree to mid-year corrections and creates
surplus accounts for infrastructure and “a rainy
day” fund.
Prop. 77 - The
Voter Empowerment Act—Vote
YES
Calls for immediate redistricting of state
legislative and congressional districts by a
three-judge panel. Districts would correspond to
existing city and county boundaries as much as
possible.
Prop. 79 -
Prescription Drug Rebates Act—Vote
NO
Establishes a mandatory statewide prescription
drug program, and locks providers out of state
contracts unless they meet certain discounts.
Prop. 80 - Electric Service Providers. - Vote NO
Limits on choices of electricity users.
Background information on the Chamber’s position
can be accessed at www.elkgroveca.com
How to Communicate with Employees Regarding
Election Issues*
California Chamber
of Commerce Guidelines for Political
Communications to Employees PDF
Informing your employees and stockholders about
the impact of proposed state legislation,
regulations and ballot measures is within your
rights as a business owner.
You can:
Communicate with your employees, stockholders
and their families about the company's support
of or opposition to state legislation,
regulations or ballot measures.
Encourage your employees, stockholders and their
families to support or oppose state legislation,
regulations or ballot measures.
Communicate your political messages to your own
employees (and their families) through such
means as internal mail systems (separate from
payroll distribution); e-mail systems; regular
mail; bulletin boards; phone bank messages; or
employee meetings.
Inform employees, stockholders and their
families about the effect of state legislation,
regulations and ballot measures on the company,
its employees and stockholders.
You need not report:
What you spend for internal communications to
your employees, stockholders and their families
about your support of or opposition to state
ballot measures.
*Information
supplied courtesy of the California Chamber of
Commerce
Proposition
74: Put the Kids First Act. Public
School Teachers. Waiting Period for Permanent
Status. Dismissal
This measure
extends from two to five the number of years a
teacher must have served in order to receive
tenure and modifies the process by which school
boards can dismiss a teaching employee who
receives two consecutive unsatisfactory
performance evaluations.
Producing an
educated workforce that meets the need of the
changing business realities is a key factor for
improving the state’s economy. The school
system’s learning and employment standards
should reflect the competitive economy and
today’s global society. Accountability and
measured performance are the only ways to ensure
children are learning.
This measure
is just a first step toward necessary reforms;
as it will give more authority to principals and
school districts in personnel matters and help
improve California schools by focusing on
teacher performance and accountability
Proposition 75: Public
Employee Union Dues. Restrictions on Political
Contributions. Employee Consent Requirement.
This measure
prohibits using public employee union dues for
political contributions without individual
employees’ prior consent. Excludes contributions
benefiting charities or employees. Requires
unions to maintain and, upon request, report
member political contributions to Fair Political
Practices Commission.
The measure:
1. Makes union contributions clearly
voluntary rather than mandatory, providing
choice and control to the members.
2. Gives public employees the same choices
for making political contributions that we all
have, allowing them to withhold contributions
from campaigns with which they do not agree
3. Protects public employee union members
from having political contributions made from
their dues without their annual permission.
Proposition
76: California Live Within Our Means Act. State
Spending and School Funding
This measure limits
state spending to prior year’s level plus three
previous years’ average revenue growth. Directs
excess state revenues to budget reserve. Changes
school funding requirements (Proposition 98).
Permits Governor, under specified circumstances,
to reduce budget appropriations.
Sound governmental fiscal policy benefits the
total economy and the Elk Grove business
community. This measure takes an essential step toward
fixing the state’s broken budget process by
placing caps on government spending to balance
future state budgets,
while assuring funding for necessary
transportation projects.
The measure:
1.
Protects against future deficits by preventing
the state from spending one-time revenues for
ongoing programs, and balances budget without
raising new taxes.
2. Establishes “checks and balances,”
encouraging bipartisan budget solutions.
3. Ensures taxes collected for highways
and roads are spent on those projects.
4. Forces the state to live within its
means
Proposition 77:
Voter Empowerment Act. Redistricting.
Amends process for redistricting California’s
Senate, Assembly, Congressional and Board of
Equalization districts. Requires three-member
bipartisan panel of retired judges selected by
legislative leaders to redraw district lines
after each census.
The measure:
1. Guarantees fair, competitive elections
by ensuring voters have the final say on voting
districts.
2. Removes conflict of interest inherent
in politicians drawing their own districts.
3. Sets strict guidelines for drawing
districts.
Proposition 79:
Prescription Drug Discounts. State-Negotiated
Rebates.
Provides for prescription drug discounts to
Californians who qualify based on income-related
standards, to be funded through rebates from
participating drug manufacturers negotiated by
California Department of Health Services.
Prohibits Medi-Cal contracts with manufacturers
not providing Medicaid best price; Rebates will
be deposited in State Treasury fund, used only
to reimburse pharmacies for discounts and to
offset administration costs
The
measure is based on a program from Maine which
has been discontinued. It would require the industry to provide discounts if they want
to do business in the state and prohibit the
state from doing business with providers that do
not. jeopardizing poor patients’ access to needed
drugs and the $481 million in rebates now paid
to state by drug companies.
The
measure would:
1. Prevent California from contracting
with manufacturers that do not provide
discounts, jeopardizing $481 million in rebates
now paid to the state by drug companies
2. Language in the bill, like that of the
failed Maine program it resembles, will lead to
litigation that will increase prescription drug
costs.
Proposition
80: Electric Service Providers. Regulation.
This measure subjects electric service
providers, as defined, to control and regulation
by California Public Utilities Commission and
imposes restrictions on electricity customers'
ability to switch from private utilities to
other electric providers. Requires all retail
electric sellers to increase renewable energy
resource procurement by 2010.
Many businesses rely on the ability to negotiate
with and choose utility providers as a means to
efficiently operate. This bill would eliminate
any new direct access contracts, which would
negatively impact the direct access market and
eliminate choice in services.
The
bill would have a negative impact on jobs and
business development and investment in
California by removing choice in service
provider and discouraging investment in energy
facilities.
The
measure:
1. Eliminates consumer choice and price
competition.
2. Eliminates any new direct access
contracts, thereby killing the direct access
market.
3. Discourages future jobs and business
investment in California.
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