No one can deny that this has been an absolutely crazy election season. We have come a long way over the past year; from what started out as 19 presidential candidates is now two, or five if you count the libertarian, green and Peace and Freedom parties we all know have no shot of winning. But, for just a few minutes, forget about the presidential election and focus on the second most important thing on the ballot come November 8th: the propositions. Out of all seventeen propositions, here are the three props that college students should know the most about.
Prop 51: School Bonds, Funding for K-12 School and Community College Facilities, Initiative Statute.
This proposition is authorizing $9 billion dollars in general obligation bonds to go to the construction and modernization of k-12 public school, and out of that $9 billion, $2 billion dollars will be allocated to community college facilities.
What will this prop do?
This prop claims that if voted yes on, the government will sell $9 billion dollars in general obligation bonds for education facilities. When the money on these bonds are used, this proposition will be putting money into modernizing classrooms by buying new desks and chairs and replacing white boards with smart boards. But not only will it modernize classrooms, it will be rebuilding bathrooms and buildings that have become less than adequate over the years. 9 billion in general obligation bonds will be allocated to in public, charter and vocational schools, while 2 billion dollars in general obligation bonds will be put towards community colleges.
What are General Obligation Bonds?
General obligation bonds is a type of municipal bond that are used to raise funds for public works. These bonds are paid back by the taxing power of the issuer, meaning the government, who is the issuer in this case, can raise “income taxes, corporate taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes, gas taxes, any tax that can be levied by the issuer. “ according to municipalbonds.com
Argument against this prop:
According to ballotpedia.com, “a “no” vote opposes the state issuing $9 billion in new debt to fund the improvement and construction of education facilities.” Meaning the government does not have the authority to sell these bonds. The argument against this prop explains how prop 51 “was created for greedy developers to exploit taxpayers for profit.” it’s also states that “prop. 51 stops legislators from providing fair school funding. Disadvantaged schools are left behind. There’s no improvement in taxpayer accountability.”
Sources:
Prop 55: Tax Extension to Fund Education and Healthcare Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
This prop is an extension on prop 30 from the 2012 ballot. According to Ballotpedia, “Proposition 55 would continue the tax rates instituted by Proposition 30 through 2030. The tax increase impacts the 1.5 percent of Californians with a single income filing of at least $263,000 or a joint income filing of at least $526,000”
What will this prop do?
If voted “yes”, this prop will prevent $4 billion in cuts to california’s public schools. This proposition will increase a child’s access to healthcare and will also increase state revenues to $9 billion between 2019 and 2030. “About 89 percent of revenue from the tax increase would go toward K-12 schools and 11 percent to state community colleges. An additional $2 billion would be allocated in certain years to Medi-Cal and other health programs.” According to ballotpedia.com
How will This Affect Taxpayers?
Prop 30 only increased the income tax for high-income taxpayers of the 1.5%. So unless you are a single income tax filer of $263,000 or a joint income tax filer of $526,000, you won’t have to worry about higher taxes.
Argument against this prop:
If voted “no”, the income tax increase on the 1.5% will expire in 2018, as scheduled by prop 30 of 2012. The argument against this prop states that “temporary means temporary.” The opposition states that “higher taxes are not needed to balance the budget, but the special interests want to extend them to grow government bigger.”
Prop 64: Marijuana Legalization Initiative Statute.
This prop want’s to legalize marijuana under state law, for use by adults 21 or older and allows local regulation and taxation.
What will this prop do?
If voted “yes” prop 64 will legalize marijuana for adults 21 years of age or older. Meaning you could legally possess, grow and use marijuana for nonmedical purposes with restrictions. Under prop 215 of 1996, medical marijuana was legalized in california, now prop 64 wants to enhance prop 215 by making marijuana legal for both medical and recreational use. With the legalization comes two new taxes, “one levied on cultivation and the other on retail price according to ballotpedia. The cultivation tax would be $9.25 per ounce for flowers and $2.75 per ounce for leaves, “with exceptions for certain medical marijuana sales and cultivation,” plus a retail tax of 15%.
Where is this tax money spent?
The revenue for the excess tax money would be spent on medical cannabis research, public California Universities to research and evaluate the implementation and impact of Proposition 64, department of california highway patrol for developing protocols about driving under the influence of marijuana, grants to local health departments and community based nonprofits, youth programs concerning drug education and more. Learn about how much will be allocated to each program here.
Arguments against prop 64:
A “no” on prop 64 means that using, possessing and growing marijuana for nonmedical purposes remains illegal. The argument opposing prop 64 states that “proposition 64 purposely omits DUI standard to keep marijuana-impaired drivers off our highways.” and that prop 64 “legalizes ads promoting smoking marijuana, gummy candy and brownies on shows watched by millions of children and teens.” read the full argument here.
Like this article? Here are some related ones?
- Why Should College Women Care About Politics?-http://www.hercampus.com/school/sonoma-state/why-should-college-women-care-about-politics
- Let’s talk about props-http://www.hercampus.com/school/sonoma-state/lets-talk-about-props
- Delegates, Superdelegates, and Why They Are Important-http://www.hercampus.com/school/sonoma-state/delegates-superdelegates-and-why-they-are-important