California Forward
From Ballotpedia
California Forward is a California political organization that is advocating for a package of statewide ballot propositions on the 2010 ballot.[1]
According to its website, "The mission of California Forward is to transform our state government through citizen-driven solutions to provide better representation, smarter budgeting and fiscal management, and high quality public services so all Californians have the opportunity to be safe, healthy and prosperous in the global economy."
California Forward was created by California Common Cause, the Center for Governmental Studies, the New California Network and The Commonwealth Club of California's Voices of Reform Project at the urging of the California Endowment, the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, and The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
The organization was created in 2006 "with $16 million from five major foundations."[2]
2010 ballot propositions
Former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg is the co-chair of California Forward. He told a reporter in June 2009 that his group wants the California State Legislature to use the legislatively-referred constitutional amendment process to put a "package of reforms" which would altogether amount to a constitutional revision on the November 2010 statewide ballot. According to Hertzberg, "We have a significant challenge here in California, and we need to fix it as quickly as possible."[3]
Bruce McPherson, a former California Secretary of State, said in Santa Cruz in November 2009 that the group supports proposals that end the 2/3rds requirement for the California State Legislature to raise taxes, and that allow the state government to borrow money from local governments:[2]
- California End the Two-Thirds Requirement Amendment (2010)
- California State Government Can't Take Local Government Funds Initiative (2010)
Leadership Council
California Forward has a Leadership Council whose members are:
- Robert M. Hertzberg, Co-Chair. Partner, Mayer Brown LLP and former Speaker of the California State Assembly.
- Thomas V. McKernan, Co-Chair; CEO, Automobile Club of Southern California
- Robert L. Balgenorth, President of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, AFL-CIO
- Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO, Green For All
- Bill Hauck, President, California Business Roundtable
- Antonia Hernández, President and CEO, California Community Foundation
- Fred Keeley, Treasurer, Santa Cruz County
- Stewart Kwoh, President and Executive Director, Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California
- Donna Lucas, Founder, Lucas Public Affairs Group
- Sunne Wright McPeak, President and CEO, California Emerging Technology Fund
- Bruce McPherson, former California Secretary of State
- Chuck Poochigian, former member of the California Senate and California State Assembly
- Cruz Reynoso, former Associate Justice, California Supreme Court and the Third District Court of Appeal
- Connie Rice, Co-Director, Advancement Project
- Gene Voiland, Principal, Voiland Enterprises LLC
External links
References
- ↑ Mercury News, "Echoes of the Declaration of Independence to shake up Sacramento", July 4, 2009
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Santa Cruz Sentinel, "California budget reforms in the hopper for November ballot", November 18, 2009
- ↑ SN&R, "California Renovation. Our government is broken. Here’s a blueprint for fixing the mess that is California", June 18, 2009
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