Politics
Governor Brown and Californians Submit Petitions to Qualify Initiative for November Ballot
Posted: 5/17/2012
SACRAMENTO – Governor Jerry Brown joined supporters to submit the signatures necessary to allow the people to vote on his initiative to protect schools and public safety. The Governor personally delivered petitions in Sacramento, while across the state approximately 1.5 million signatures are being submitted throughout the week.
“For years, state government has been living beyond its means,” said Governor Brown. “The ballot measure we are submitting today is crucial to balancing our budget and preventing further cuts to schools and public safety. It’s time to go directly to the people and do what’s needed to get California back on track.”
When Governor Brown took office last year, California faced a deficit of over $26 billion and revenues were down 24%. After billions of dollars of painful cuts, state spending as a share of the economy is now at the lowest level in a generation. Even as the economy recovers, tax revenues are still less than they were in 2005 and we are facing another difficult budget in the month ahead.
The initiative will temporarily raise income taxes on high earners and increase sales taxes ¼ cent for 4 years—a level lower than they were last year. The measure will also guarantee local public safety funding.
More information, including the full text of the Initiative, is available at www.ProtectSchoolsAndPublicSafety.org.
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