LACYD Legislative and Political Committees Meet to Discuss Special Election Ballot Initiatives

On March 25, the LACYD Legislative and Political Committees met to discuss and offer a recommendation regarding what position the organization should take on the ballot initiatives that will appear on the May 19 special election.

In order to help us parse through the confusing set of initiatives placed on the ballot as a result of the recent budget compromise in Sacramento, a representative from the Budget Reform Now campaign took time to present to the committee and explain why these propositions are necessary. (Though there is no formal campaign opposed to the initiatives, an invitation to the meeting was extended to groups that have voiced opposition. The groups never responded to the invitation.)

Video from the presentation follows. Scroll down to read the committee's recommendation.

Budget Reform Now Representative Explains Props. 1A and 1B.


Here is the chart used in the presentation:
Prop. 1C, 1D, 1E and 1F videos coming soon...

Committee Recommendation

After the presentation the committee discussed what we had heard and came to a "begrudgingly unanimous" recommendation of support for the entire package. While parts of the package are not perfectly in line with LACYD's Platform and we of course detest the idea of limiting spending on necessary programs such as education, the consequence of not approving Propositions 1A-1F is too frightening a prospect to ignore. In an ideal world, state revenues would allow education, mental health and first five programs to be fully funded. The perennial Mexican standoff that is our state's budget negotiation process clearly reveals that this is not an ideal world. Propositions 1A-1F will not solve the budget crisis but they will help.

The LACYD Legislative Committee and the LACYD Political Committee recommend a position of support for Propositions 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E and 1F on the May 19 statewide special election ballot.