#prop 34

Both propositions were targeted in an ad I saw last night. The ad was sponsored by the "California Apartment Association" which you might think was a tenant's organization from that name, right? If you were busy and didn't have time to check?

I am a sad loser with all the time to check and the California Apartment Association website ALSO acts like it's about that, until you get to the bottom of the first page where it tells you how to "protect your rental housing business."

It's an association for landlords and property management companies.

(One proposition, from my understanding, is about repealing an old law to make it easier to start RENT CONTROL. and the other is about stopping funding for programs that support RENT CONTROL. I love how landlords cannot stop being evil even for a second.)

Please read up on Prop 34 before you vote (if you haven't already)

The commercials for it (and, ostensibly, against prop 33) are couched in all this language about misuse of tax funds and about standing up for the people against those who would use tax money for their own gains. It is assuredly not this.

Prop 33 is the latest ballot measure about introducing rent control in the state, spearheaded (again) by the AIDS Health Foundation president Michael Weinstein. He's tried to do this a few different times, and the people who put forward Prop 34 (mostly, landlords) hate him.

Prop 34 is written as if this is a broad stroke measure about the use of money in non-profits, but this, taken directly from the CalMatters website, is the whole story:

Because Michael Weinstein keeps trying to introduce broader rent control to the state, the landlords have risen up to try and kneecap his foundation specifically, to prevent him from furthering his fight for rent control if it doesn't pass this time around.

Whatever your opinions are on Prop 33, they're largely irrelevant to the fact that a group of disgruntled landlords who want to not be restricted any further on what they can charge for shitty houses and apartments are trying to mislead the California populace into eliminating their current main opponent.

Prop 34 might as well be titled "Make it so Michael Weinstein Can't be Involved in Politics Anymore Because We Hate Him."

That's fucking gross. It is wildly unethical to introduce a law that is aimed at one person and one person only, dressed up in fancy, progressive language about money-saving and care for the taxpayers.

I urge you to please vote no on Prop 34. It's a slimy, underhanded proposition, and it should not pass.

By Cindya Ibarra and Aide Villegas

          Campaign supporter of Prop 34

On the November 6, 2012 ballot in California, Proposition 34 was defeated.  Proposition 34 proposes to eliminate the death penalty in California and replace it with life in prison without the possibility of parole.  Proposition 34 was controversial.  

 BallotPedia informs us that Prop. 34 would apply for people already sentenced. It would also require that people found guilty of murder have to work and their wages would go to the victim’s family. Plus, it will create a $100 million fund to be distributed to the law enforces agencies to help solve more homicide and rape.

 Some voters believe people who do a lot of damage should go through with the death penalty. Elizabeth Diaz, a voter who was against Proposition 34 said, “Proposition 34 makes no sense why would they leave dangerous people alive to enjoy the luxury of the money that is spent for the jails.”

Logically, we had the death penalty before and we weren’t even using it. This kid in my government class said that we were spending millions of dollars to keep the people on death row alive. So passing prop 34 would have just kept us doing what we are doing anyway: paying for the people to live. I mean, we had death penalty before this proposition and we were NOT using it. So it really wouldn’t have affected anyone if it had passed because we are paying the money to keep them alive anyway.

Theologically, (I am a Christian and my whole school is) we learned in Theology 1 that a sin is a sin is a sin. This means that all sins are equal. So who are we to judge other people’s sins and decide what punishment they should get. In God’s eyes, murdering and lying are the same. Now I am not saying murder is not wrong and people should not be punished for it, but locking them in prison for life and taking away their freedoms seems like punishment enough. People might say that this should not be a theological argument, but I disagree. When talking about life and death, I think religion should come into play.

California voters rejected Prop 34, which would have repealed the death penalty and retroactively replaced it with a life sentence without parole for convicts already on death row. Analysts estimated that the proposition would have saved the state of California at least $130 million because the costs associated with capital cases would cease.

With 98.5 percent of precincts reporting, the movement to abolish capital punishment gained just 47.3 percent of the vote.

Former Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti was a prominent supporter of Prop 34, and at a celebration party hosted by the LA County Democratic Party Tuesday night, Garcetti had been optimistic about its chances. Still, no matter what the outcome, Garcetti was happy that the issue had made it to the ballot.

"The legislature wouldn't pick up the ball to put it on the ballot, so 800,000 people did," said Garcetti to The Huffington Post. "That says a lot."

He also noted that Prop 34 sparked debate about the role of capital punishment in California's legal system. "It's the first time that we've had an intelligent discussion about the death penalty," said Garcetti. "How much does it cost? Does it deter? What is the purpose? Are there innocent people who are on death row? Those are the issues that are being brought to the electorate for the first time."

Indeed, one California man who was exonerated while on death row became the face of Prop 34. Franky Carrillo, who spent 20 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, cast his first vote since being released on Tuesday. His story was featured on Prop 34 commercials that ran in the week before election day.

Support for Prop 34 surged in the final weeks of the campaign season, but not enough to guarantee a victory, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Currently, California leads the nation in inmates awaiting the death penalty, with at least 727 people on death row, notes the Times.

I believe it was twice as much as predicted totaling to a quarter of all votes? that's insane. 

I don't understand how gmo labeling failed...

prop 37 went downhill it was a close one though

30 passed

38 failed being funded by a SINGLE individual 

how one person can have so much "power" is beyond me.

the punishment of an archaic age still exists...

California kept the death penalty