Press release posted at LP.org. Reposted to IPR by Paulie.
PANORAMA CITY, Calif. — Libertarian Party of California Chair Kevin Takenaga issued the follow statement today regarding the budget deal agreed to this morning by the California legislature:
“The budget package passed by the California legislature this morning is an absolute travesty. It shows just how little concern the Democrats and Republicans in Sacramento have for ordinary, hard-working individuals and businesses in California.
“And make no mistake, even those Republicans who voted against it today share the blame. The state’s fiscal mess didn’t just happen overnight. It took years of arrogance, neglect, ignorance and willful disregard for taxpayers by both major parties to reach this point. The state’s $40 billion deficit was utterly predictable. Both parties were copartners in crime in approving ever larger spending plans that far outstripped the state’s rising revenues. Despite a slowing economy, the state still separated taxpayers from a record amount of their money last year.
“And even with record revenues, the state has fallen further behind in quality of life compared to low-tax states like Nevada, Arizona, Texas and Florida. Our government-funded educational system ranks near the bottom of the 50 states, our traffic is among the worst in the nation, we have more state employees per capita than we ever have, and Democrats and Republicans still think the problem is ‘not enough revenue.’
“Not only has the legislature threatened the future prosperity of Californians, but it will place on the ballot a proposed constitutional ‘open primary’ amendment that would prevent voters from choosing from a wide field of candidates in a general election. A ‘top-two’ system will effectively deny voters the opportunity to choose third-party candidates who could offer the best hope for a return to sound budget practices.
“Despite this double whammy, the Libertarian Party of California will again field candidates at the local, state, and federal levels in the 2010 election cycle who will offer policies that will prevent us from ever reliving this budget mismanagement nightmare. We offer the political choice that Californians desperately need right now.”
The Libertarian Party of California fields candidates at the local, state, and federal level each election cycle. It also publishes the weekly Libertarian Perspective, an op-ed column authored by writers who strongly believe in freedom and individual liberty. Libertarians are socially tolerant and fiscally responsible, believe in personal freedom in both social and economic spheres, and in government small enough to protect those freedoms. For more information, visit the party’s Website at www.ca.lp.org.
From Free and Equal:
The state of California recently found itself on the precipice of a financial Armageddon. At the end of a marathon legislative session, the state legislature passed a new budget by the slimmest of margins.
But the budget deal was not the only item voted on under the cover of darkness.
At around 4am on February 19th, minutes before the budget was passed, two bills to change the way Californians vote were voted on and approved.
The first bill asks voters to vote on a constitutional amendment, SCA4, that would remove the right of each political party to have its nominees on the November ballot. The second bill institutes a Washington state style “Top-Two” system, in which the top two vote getters in the primary are the only names to appear on the November ballot –even if that means only one political party is represented.
The bills were championed by State Senator Abel Maldonado, and were passed to help persuade Mr. Maldonado to vote for the budget bill. Mr. Maldonado then promptly voted for the passage of the budget bill.
In a twist that further displays the underhanded back-room dealings that sent these bills to the floor, the second bill started its legislative life as a measure on hazardous waste.
The Free and Equal Elections Foundation is vehemently opposed to the idea of the “Top Two” Primary. This ill-conceived system makes it virtually impossible for Independent and Third Party candidates to appear on the November ballot.
“Washington has tried top-two once now. In 2008, for the first time since Washington has been a state, no minor party or independent candidates appeared on the November ballot for either Congress or statewide state office,” said Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, and a member of the Free & Equal Board of Directors. “The Top-Two Primary is the biggest threat to the existence of minor parties in over 50 years.”
The Top-Two Primary was defeated by the voters of Oregon this past election. California citizens will cast their votes on the proposal in June of 2010.
The Free and Equal Elections Foundation plans to coordinate efforts to defeat these amendments in California, and participate in litigation against the Top Two Primary in Washington State.
The Free and Equal Elections Foundation is a non partisan, non profit 501c(4) organization dedicated to eliminating restrictive ballot access laws that target Independent and Third-Party Candidates.
Free & Equal will challenge these laws, through lobbying of state legislators, court challenges, and initiatives.
@ BAN
http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/02/19/new-details-on-california-proposal/
Wes at Green Party Watch:
http://www.greenpartywatch.org/2009/02/19/california-budget-deal-costs-3rd-parties/