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Hi! My name is April Halprin Wayland

and I believe we need to help each other become informed voters.

That’s how to turn this country around.

Come back and visit before every election ~

drawing (c) April Halprin Wayland

The next election is Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010!

Your California polling place. Your Los Angeles polling place.

Some really incredible Voter Resources not to be missed at the bottom of this page.

…my very smart husband says my tagline should be, “saving the world one email at a time”
If you’d like to be on my political email list, email me: aprilstory@aol.com

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State Executive Governor; Democratic Party YES Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown, Democratic Lieutenant Governor; Democratic Party YES Gavin Newsom, Democratic Secretary of State; Democratic Party YES Debra Bowen, Democratic of course, of course, of course! She’s my hero! Controller; Democratic Party YES John Chiang, Democratic Treasurer; Democratic Party YES Bill Lockyer, Democratic Attorney General; Democratic Party YES Kamala Harris, Democratic Insurance Commissioner; Democratic Par YES Dave Jones, Democratic State Superintendent of Public Instruction One of my very smart friends says, “I heard them both speak recently and found Aceves a little deeper, a little more motivating, and a little more knowledgeable.  I think the fact that he’s not supported by CTA is a good thing. But the reality is that the position has virtually no power, and is more of a bully pulpit than anything else.  I think we will be well served by either of them.  They are both really committed to making schools better.” Tom Torlakson Larry Aceves

US Senate United States Senator; Democratic Party YES Barbara Boxer, Democratic US Representative United States Representative; District 36; Democratic Party YES Jane Harman, Democratic State Senate State Senator; District 28; Democratic Party YES Jenny Oropeza, Democratic State Assembly Member of the State Assembly; District 53; Democratic Party YES Betsy Butler, Democratic Board of Equalization State Board of Equalization; District 4 YES Jerome Horton, Democratic County Assessor; County of Los Angeles YES John R. Noguez Judicial One of my very smart friends said: “all of the Supreme Court and Appellate Justices must go through a retention election.  All are fine in their jobs and should be retained.” California Supreme Court YES Tani Cantil-Sakauye (she got especially high marks from a very smart friend) YES Ming Chin YES Carlos Moreno Justice, California State Court of Appeal; District 2, Division 1 YES Robert Mallano my very smart friend says she can attest to his “judicial temperament, integrity, fairness and great example of what a judge or justice should be.” YES Jeffrey Johnson YES Victoria Chaney Justice, California State Court of Appeal; District 2, Division 2 YES Judith Ashmann Justice, California State Court of Appeal; District 2, Division 3 YES Walter Croskey my very smart friend says she can attest to his “judicial temperament, integrity, fairness and great example of what a judge or justice should be.” Justice, California State Court of Appeal; District 2, Division 4 YES Steven Suzukawa Justice, California State Court of Appeal; District 2, Division 5 YES Orville Armstrong Justice, California State Court of Appeal; District 2, Division 6 YES Steven Perren YES Paul Coffee Justice, California State Court of Appeal; District 2, Division 7 YES Frank Jackson YES Laurie Zelon my very smart friend says she can attest to her “judicial temperament, integrity, fairness and great example of what a judge or justice should be.” Justice, California State Court of Appeal; District 2, Division 8 YES Tricia Bigelow YES Elizabeth Grimes Judge-Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 28 Randy Hammock (One of my very smart friends likes him and the LA Times liked him) Mark K. Ameli (The Democratic Party and Stonewall have endorsed him.) Judge-Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 117 YES Alan Schneider Judge of the Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 136 YES Amy D. Hogue NOTE: The order of the contests and candidates on this ballot representation is NOT necessarily the same as your county’s official ballot. If you print and mark your choices on this page and take it to the polls instead of an official sample ballot, be very careful.

YES Proposition 19 Legalizes Marijuana Under California But Not Federal Law. Permits Local Governments to Regulate and Tax Commercial Production, Distribution, and Sale of Marijuana My friend Richard has cancer and he says that marijuana is the only thing that reduces the pain enough for him to sleep. And he says that sleep is what helps him to heal.

Allows people 21 years old or older to possess, cultivate, or transport marijuana for personal use. Fiscal Impact: Depending on federal, state, and local government actions, potential increased tax and fee revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually and potential correctional savings of several tens of millions of dollars annually.

NO Proposition 20 Redistricting of Congressional Districts the League of Women Voters says: “well-intentioned but premature.” See No on 20′s website.

Removes elected representatives from the process of establishing congressional districts and transfers that authority to the recently-authorized 14-member redistricting commission. Redistricting commission is comprised of five Democrats, five Republicans, and four voters registered with neither party. Requires that any newly-proposed district lines be approved by nine commissioners including three Democrats, three Republicans, and three from neither party. Fiscal Impact: Probably no significant change in state redistricting costs.

YES Proposition 21 Establishes $18 Annual Vehicle License Surcharge to Help Fund State Parks and Wildlife Programs. Grants Surcharged Vehicles Free Admission to All State Parks my very smart environmental activist friend, Lillian Light, says: “Our state parks have been targeted for closure and are severely underfunded. This modest fee will help to save our state parks, and will keep them from being taken over by developers.”  See Yes on 21′s website.

Exempts commercial vehicles, trailers and trailer coaches from the surcharge. Fiscal Impact: Annual increase to state revenues of $500 million from surcharge on vehicle registrations. After offsetting some existing funding sources, these revenues would provide at least $250 million more annually for state parks and wildlife conservation.

NO Proposition 22 Prohibits the State From Borrowing Or Taking Funds Used for Transportation, Redevelopment, Or Local Government Projects and Services

One of my very smart friends convinced me that this proposition will handcuff our representatives.  What if too much money builds up in the transportation fund, for an example…they may be inclined to build something that isn’t necessary just because the money’s there. Basically I don’t believe in “budgeting by ballot box”.  See No on 22′s website.Prohibits State, even during severe fiscal hardship, from delaying distribution of tax revenues for these purposes. Fiscal Impact: Decreased state General Fund spending and/or increased state revenues, probably in the range of $1 billion to several billions of dollars annually. Comparable amounts of increased funding for transportation and redevelopment.

NO Proposition 23 Suspends Air Pollution Control Laws Requiring Major Polluters to Report and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions That Cause Global Warming Until Unemployment Drops to 5.5 Percent Or Less for Full Year Lillian Light (okay, LOTS of people) and The League of Women Voters oppose this “Dirty Energy Proposition”, funded by out-of-state oil companies because it would virtually kill AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. Click here for more information and for a VERY impressive list of those who oppose it.

Fiscal Impact: Likely modest net increase in overall economic activity in the state from suspension of greenhouse gases regulatory activity, resulting in a potentially significant net increase in state and local revenues.

YES Proposition 24 Repeals Recent Legislation That Would Allow Businesses to Lower Their Tax Liability The League of Women Voters supports this, which would “repeal the corporate tax cuts that were passed in the closed-door budget deals of 2008-2009. Those tax breaks cost approximately $1.3 billion per year in revenue to the state and benefit only two percent of California’s businesses.”  See Yes on 24′s website.

Fiscal Impact: Increased state revenues of about $1.3 billion each year by 2012-13 from higher taxes paid by some businesses. Smaller increases in 2010-11 and 2011-12.

YES Proposition 25 Changes Legislative Vote Requirement to Pass Budget and Budget-Related Legislation From Two-Thirds to A Simple Majority. Retains Two-Thirds Vote Requirement for Taxes The League of Women Voters “supports this measure, which would change the vote required for the Legislature to pass a budget from the current two-thirds to a simple majority…(it) will change the negotations over the budget and give the minority less of a stranglehold on the process.” See Yes on 25′s website.

Legislature permanently forfeits daily salary and expenses until budget bill passes. Fiscal Impact: In some years, the contents of the state budget could be changed due to the lower legislative vote requirement in this measure. The extent of changes would depend on the Legislature’s future actions.

NO Proposition 26 Requires That Certain State and Local Fees Be Approved By Two-Thirds Vote. Fees Include Those That Address Adverse Impacts on Society Or the Environment Caused By the Fee-Payer’s Business The League of Women Voters calls 26″Polluter Protection” and says it “would redefine regulartory fees imposed on companies for harm done to the environment or public health as taxes. Since taxes, unlike fees, require a two-thirds vote for approval, it would be much harder for state and local governments to seek such payments from those making harmful products or creating public nuisances…we believe that decisions on revenue measures should be made by a simple majority vote.”  See No on 26′s website.

Fiscal Impact: Depending on decisions by governing bodies and voters, decreased state and local government revenues and spending (up to billions of dollars annually). Increased transportation spending and state General Fund costs ($1 billion annually).

NO Proposition 27 Eliminates State Commission on Redistricting. Consolidates Authority for Redistricting With Elected Representatives The League of Women Voters strongly opposes this measure, which it says “would completely eliminate the redistricting commission and return the authority for redistricting to the backrooms of the Legislature…”

Eliminates 14-member redistricting commission. Consolidates authority for establishing state Assembly, Senate, and Board of Equalization districts with elected representatives who draw congressional districts. Fiscal Impact: Possible reduction of state redistricting costs of around $1 million over the next year. Likely reduction of these costs of a few million dollars once every ten years beginning in 2020.

drawings (c) April Halprin Wayland

Hooray–you’ve reach the end of the ballot!–now take a good, deep breath and vote on Tuesday, November 2nd!

“If cousin Pookie would vote, if Uncle Jethro would get off the couch and stop watching sports center and go register some folks and go to the polls,

we might have a different kind of politics. That’s what the Moses generation teaches us. Kick off your bedroom slippers.

Put on your marching shoes. Go do some politics. Change this country!”

~ Barack Obama

YouTube satire: I’M VOTING REPUBLICAN BECAUSE..
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