(October 28, 2008) Radio advertisements have been airing statewide for weeks for Proposition 11, the California Chamber of Commerce-supported redistricting reform measure on the November ballot.

In addition, newspapers and editorial boards have announced their support for Proposition 11, which will allow the citizens of California, rather than the Legislature, to create competitive legislative districts, thereby helping elected officials be more accountable to voters.

To date, a broad and bipartisan coalition of more than 1,700 organizations and individuals has formed to support Proposition 11. CalChamber President and Chief Executive Officer Allan Zaremberg is a co-chair of the Yes on Proposition 11 campaign.

Here is a sampling of what California newspapers and columnists have been saying:

• “In a Field Poll released last month, a record low 15 percent of California voters approved of the job performance of the state Legislature. It’s no wonder Californians have such low regard for their representatives in Sacramento. Lawmakers are free to act with little regard for voters because they are virtually immune from losing in a general election...We trust that voters know better and urge them to support Prop. 11. It is in the best interest of the public, not unresponsive politicians.”— Contra Costa Times (October 4)
• “We’re supporters of redistricting in California, which would make political races more open and competitive. Proposition 11, the redistricting measure on the November ballot, has wide support, as might be expected for a reform when nearly everyone seems fed up with politicians.”— Orange County Register (October 5)
• Unless voters put an end to the status quo and push for change after the 2010 census, Californians will be stuck with a setup that enables politicians to pick their voters, when democracy is supposed to be a system that allows voters to pick their politicians.” — Debra Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle (October 5)
• “If voters pass Proposition 11, politicians, even if well-intended, will no longer be able to draw districts that in their eyes look like Jessica Rabbit but in reality are just another salamander.”— Daniel Curtin, director of the California Conference of Carpenters in The Sacramento Bee (October 5)

Radio Ad

The Yes on Proposition 11 campaign hit the airwaves on October 6 with “Legislature,” a radio ad that highlights the dysfunction that dominates California’s Legislature and the need for reform that gives voters the ability to hold the pol­iticians accountable for producing results.

“Legislature” includes discussion among a man, a woman and a politician regarding the Legislature’s performance this year. The woman concludes the conversation by saying, “That’s why we need Prop. 11. It’ll help end the gridlock by forcing politicians to pay attention to voters—and if they don’t, it makes it easier to vote them out of office.”

Jeannine English, California state president of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), said the ad is about accountability.

“It is no secret that our current system is broken. Exhibit A is the 85-day budget stalemate that cost the people of California dearly,” English said. “This ad is designed to let voters know that Prop. 11 will give them the power to hold politicians accountable.”

Proposition 11 Commission

Proposition 11 will create a 14-member independent citizens commission to redraw state legislative district lines based on strict non-partisan rules. Unlike the current process, Proposition 11 will ensure that the redistricting process is open and transparent and will respect existing city and county boundaries and communities. It will exclude individuals with obvious conflicts of interest, including elected officials and their staff, from serving on the commission. The commission will include five Republicans, five Democrats and four members not associated with either party.

Potential commission members could include university professors, CPAs, physicians, nurses, engineers, community advocates, teachers and more. There also are provisions in the initiative requiring the commission to represent the state’s significant diversity, including ethnic and regional considerations.

More Information

The CalChamber is urging members of the business community to support Proposition 11.

Key proponents of Proposition 11 are California Common Cause, the AARP and the League of Women Voters of California—all of which worked for two years to draft the initiative. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his support for the initiative after it was written.

For more information and a link to the radio ad, visit www.yesprop11.org.