Speak Out Now: January 2008 Archives

Speak Out California is proud to be able to assist progressive Californians by providing information like our voter guides, articulating arguments to use when discussing issues and by always promoting progressive values. It's what we are here for.

We feel that it is important that Californians hear about alternatives to cutting police, schools, road maintenance, and the other important things we use our tax money for. And we feel that it is important that Californians learn about democracy, community and the common good. If you feel the same please click here to contribute to Speak Out California.

Here's the thing. You're reading Speak Out California so it is likely that you probably understand and agree with a lot of what is written here. But most of the people in the state do not have the time or inclination to dig into the details of issues. There are few outlets for a progressive viewpoint. At the same time, everywhere Californians go they hear a conservative perspective.

That's why we need to counter this. We need to reach all Californians with a progressive perspective as well. Californians need and deserve to hear both sides.

Speak Out California wants to reach out past the Internet to the general public of the State of California.

We want to explain the benefits to them of progressive values and ideas. This will help create understanding and acceptance of progressive policies and candidates statewide.

We have plans to begin to do that, but we need your help to make this happen. Will you help make this happen with a contribution?-Just click here

How are we going to reach out to Californians? Let us count the ways...

- Imagine if we could develop TV and radio ads promoting the benefits of progressive values to Californians.

- Imagine if we could conduct ongoing testing of the impact of messages to learn what resonates with diverse groups, helping people understand why progressive values benefit them.

- Imagine how our state would improve if Speak Out California could reach out across the state and create lasting demand for Progressive candidates and policies.

If you can imagine how outreach activities like these would help us all, please click here to help us reach California by contributing to Speak Out California.

How does this help progressives?

A few dollars sent our way creates more change than lots of dollars later.

Here's how: As more people learn the benefits of a progressive approach they realize they share our our progressive dreams for California. This creates a lasting favorable progressive environment.

Speak Out California -- explaining to people the benefits of progressive values and ideas. Creating demand for progressive policies and candidates. Providing information about the issues. Helping create progressive change. All year, every year.

Our 2008 voter guide is up. Click here for SOCA's analysis of the issues.

Note - This voter guide has been updated since it first appeared.

The February 5th California primary is upon us. Our top rated progressive one stop voter guide for this election focuses on the ballot initiatives and includes links to the independent and highly regarded California Legislative Analyst's Office's analysis of each proposition. The seven measures that actually made it on the ballot are primarily about money, and how it should be allocated. The one measure dealing with state governance is the so-called Term Limits initiative. While each of these is important to a particular interest group, none of them really incorporate progressive values nor do they serve to advance or impede the progressive agenda. For that reason, Speak Out California has not taken a position on any of them, but we have tried to distill each measure down to its basic parts so you can decide how you wish to vote on each of them.

For more details on each group's endorsement, click on the name of the group in the table, and for details about the ballot campaigns, click on the proposition link on the left hand side of the table for a comprehensive research analysis and scroll down to read our summaries.

For updated endorsement coverage be sure to checked back to this page as additional endorsements come in. Make sure everyone you know votes February 5th, but with our values and state under such relentless attack, we all have to do more than vote. Freedom is a constant struggle. One way you can help is by making a donation, or by joining Speak Out California and forwarding this voter information to your friends!

The 2008 Primary Election SOCA Voter Guide

California faces a large budget deficit, and the Governor has declared an emergency. The Governor has proposed "across-the-board" spending cuts -- which means cutting all state services by an equal amount.

This inability to prioritize the importance of any particular spending cuts should be taken as a de facto declaration that there is no waste or unimportant spending left to cut -- that all spending is equally crucial. Driving home this point, the Governor is asking for the release onto the streets of prisoners.

If we don't want prisoners released onto our streets the legislature must raise revenue.