[GPCA Updates] Press Release: Green Party of California endorses Prop 15, No Others

[Green Party of California Updates]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE				
Wednesday, March 10, 2010


Green Party of California endorses just one ballot measure
on June ballot; Proposition 15 would reduce corrupting
influence of lobbyists on elections, Greens say


SAN JOSE -- The Green Party of California (GPCA) announced this
week it was officially supporting only one of five propositions
on the June 2010 ballot - a measure that would experiment with
public financing of some candidates in the 2014 and 2018
elections to avoid the corrupting influence of lobbyists.

Voting at the party's state convention in San Jose last weekend,
delegates representing Green Party counties throughout the state
agreed to support Prop. 15, which would use fees paid by
lobbyists to finance Secretary of State candidates. It means
smaller parties could receive up to $1.3 million in public
financing for that SOS race.

	 	PROP. 14: No Support. The GPCA heavily criticized Prop. 14,
the so-called "top two" measure, which would, if passed, only
allow the top two winners in the primary to be on the ballot in
the November general election. The result, said the Greens, would
result in fewer voter choices at time when voters are
dissatisfied with current choices; increased candidate spending;
muzzled smaller parties and their messages; and increased
influence by the same moneyed special interests bankrolling Prop. 14.

	 	PROP. 16: No Support. The GPCA did not endorse Prop. 16, a
private utility-backed measure that would protect big utilities
by requiring a two-thirds majority vote of ratepayers before a
public utility could be created. Not coincidentally, public
utilities are less expensive than private utilities, note the Greens.

	 	PROP. 17: No support. Green Party delegates said, if passed,
this proposition would punish the poor and middle class.  The
measure would allow auto insurers to raise rates for those who,
for whatever reason had a gap in coverage.

	 	PROP. 13: No position. Greens took no position on this
measure. It would allow a tax break for homeowners or commercial
property owners for seismic retrofitting. While some delegates
believed the proposition is a thinly-disguised attempt to benefit
big business (as in the original Prop. 13), others believe it
will save lives by encouraging property owners to make their
buildings safer.