Advertise Here

Deliver your message to thousands of readers every day.

Our readers are influential opinion makers - politicians, journalists and activists.

Our latest headlines

Republican Leader Rejects Concept of California Budget Compromise
They're Not Covering the Same Convention
Recycling Bill Bottled Up in Closing Hours of California Legislative Session
Cavala: Editorial Opinion Masquerading as ‘News’ in the ‘Bee’
Stand-Off On California Budget Continues--No Agreement Close—Floor Sessions Today
A Young California Delegate Reports from the Floor of the Democratic Convention: Hillary Clinton Tamed PUMA’s and Won Wavering Democrats for Obama
The California Budget Gets a Tardy and an Incomplete Grade: The Governor and Legislative Republicans Undercut Education

About Us

The California Progress Report is published by Frank D. Russo, a longtime observer of and participant in California politics.

About Frank Russo.
About California Progress Report.

Got a news tip? Want to write a guest column? Contact Frank here.

Why Californians Who Care About the Environment Support Proposition 93

By Mark Murray
Executive Director
Californians Against Waste

On Tuesday, February 5th, you will have the chance to make an important decision about the future of California's environment.

Californians Against Waste has been helping California's environment for over thirty years now and we couldn't have been able to do this without help from the environmental leaders in the state legislature. Currently, California's legislative term limits are just about the tightest in the country, and remain a barrier to effective governing, which is why CAW supports Proposition 93. Prop 93 strikes a balance that would still stick legislators with tight term limits, but allow legislators more time in one house, greatly increasing continuity and institutional memory necessary to be effective leaders.

The flaw in our current system is that it keeps legislators from gaining enough experience to be effective and to oversee the implementation of often complex, important legislation, including environmental laws.

Additionally, the current system often requires some of our best legislative allies to run against each other when their Assembly terms expire--after just 6 years. Case in point, CAW Legislators-of-the-Year Lloyd Levine and Fran Pavley have carried several successful recycling bills each during their 6 years in the Assembly. Now they are forced to run against each other for the Senate seat of another termed out CAW legislator-of-the-year: State Senator Sheila Kuehl.

Currently, legislators can serve up to three two-year terms in the Assembly and two four-year terms in the Senate, for a total of 14 years. Prop 93 would reduce the total amount of time a legislator can serve in the Legislature to 12 years, but allow a legislator to serve all 12 years in the Assembly or the Senate. This limit gives legislators time to gain experience, but still maintains a healthy turnover rate to allow for new issues to be brought up. It also helps drastically reduce the political jockeying that dominates
Sacramento and help stabilize our system by breaking the cycle of legislators constantly wanting to move up the political ladder.

The Yes on Proposition 93 campaign has produced a video featuring Assemblymember John Laird of Santa Cruz, discussing the impact reforming term limits will have on environmental issues in California. Watch the video.

Other environmental groups support Prop. 93, including the Sierra Club and the CA League of Conservation Voters.

Mark Murray is the Executive Director of the environmental group Californians Against Waste (CAW). He lobbies for CAW and is recognized as one of the environmental communities leading experts on waste prevention and recycling policies. CAW has been actively involved in the development, negotiation and passage of virtually every piece of waste reduction and recycling legislation enacted in California.

Posted on January 31, 2008

Comments

You are the smokin' mirrors champ so far today. You just are pandering for your buddy Nunez and mr P. Yea Mon no problem let them keep giving entitlements to their favorite Liberal cause and when Calif. goes bankrupt from the Liberals,more taxes and Liberals continue on.

Posted by: south central at January 31, 2008 04:41 PM

I am a Californian who cares about the environment but does NOT support Proposition 93.

Obviously here is the plea to the single interest type voter, in this case those who are "green" or only concerned about one thing, the environment, over any/all other considerations.

Does this organization give campaign money to politicians? If so, it is also a "special interest", organizations that take advantage of simpleton politicians via donations to them.

Prop 93 is a dileberate attempt to hoodwink the people of California to keep corrupt politicians in office/power LONGER than they are currently allowed by law.

No organization, not even a "green" one, should perpetuate these poor performing politicians whose first concern is only themselves.

NO-NO on Proposition 93!

Posted by: Jay Gould at February 2, 2008 10:35 AM

Get Email Updates

Want the California Progress Report by email? Once a week, we'll send you the latest and greatest headlines.

Stat tracker