California Proposition 3 (2008)

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Proposition 3, or the Children's Hospital Bond Act, is a California bond issue via initiative that has qualified for the November 2008 ballot. [Mercury News, [http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_9216385 "Bond measure to improve children's hospitals on ballot"] , May 10, 2008] The campaign to enact the measure is supported by hospitals--all donors to the campaign of over $5,000 are hospitals. [ [http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1301053&session=2007&view=late1 "Large donors to the Children's Hospital Bond Act campaign fund"] ]

It authorizes $980,000,000 in bonds, to be repaid from state’s General Fund, to fund the construction, expansion, remodeling, renovation, furnishing and equipping of children’s hospitals. The annual payment on the debt authorized by the initiative would be about $64 million a year. Altogether, the measure would cost about $1.9 billion over 30 years out of California's general fund. [ [http://www.dailybreeze.com/opinions/ci_10586489 "Daily Breeze", "PROP. 3: HEALTH CARE: Measure would expand hospital funding", September 28, 2008] ]

Legislative Analyst’s Estimate of Fiscal Impact

State cost of about $2 billion over 30 years to pay off both the principal ($980 million) and the interest ($933 million) costs of the bonds. Payments of about $64 million per year.

upporters

The official committee supporting the CHBA is called the California Children's Hospital Association Initiative Fund.

Arguments in favor

* Passing the initiative will help provide the hospitals with enough money for greater bed capacity and to purchase important equipment as well as the most modern technologies. [ [http://media.www.thedailyaztec.com/media/storage/paper741/news/2008/09/04/City/On.The.Ballot.Proposition.3.Asks.Californians.To.Allot.980.Million.For.Hospitals-3415156.shtml "Aztec Times", "Proposition 3 asks Californians to allot $980 million for hospitals; Children's Hospital Bond Act Grant Program will cost $64 million per year", September 4, 2008] ]

Editorial boards in favor

The Los Angeles Times [ [http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-ed-endorsements2-2008oct02,0,2312420.story "Los Angeles Times", "Yes on California bonds; Bullet trains, children's healthcare and veterans' housing all deserve support", October 2, 2008] ]

Path to ballot

Arno Political Consultants was paid about $1,028,000 to conduct the petition drive that qualified the measure for the ballot. [ [http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1301053&session=2007&view=expenditures "Expenditure details"] ]

All donors to the campaign of over $5,000 have been hospitals. [ [http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1301053&session=2007&view=late1 "Large donors to the Children's Hospital Bond Act campaign fund"] ]

imilar 2004 initiative

A smaller, but similar, bond measure for hospitals, Proposition 61, was approved by voters in 2004.

Opponents

The National Tax Limitation Committee is the official committee opposed to the measure and is chaired by Lew Uhler.

Arguments against

* Proposition 3 is misuse of the public ballot system by special interests
* The measure also allows money to go to hospitals that are not childrens hospitals.
* These very same special interest groups initiated the passage of Proposition 61. Half of that money still remains unspent.

Editorial boards opposed

The Appeal-Democrat [ [http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/debt_69179___article.html/billion_california.html "Appeal-Democrat", "Our View: Wrong way to fund a good cause", September 27, 2008] ]

The Pasadena Star News [ [http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinions/ci_10593142 "Pasadena Star News", "Vote 'no' on Prop. 3", September 30, 2008] ]

Polling information

A Field Poll taken in mid-September found that only 18% of 830 likely voters surveyed across the state had heard of Proposition 3 prior to being told of it by the survey interviewer. [ [http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/1275878.html "Sacramento Bee", "Field Poll: Voters who've heard of Proposition 3 tend to favor it", September 30, 2008] ]

External links

* [http://www.imaginewithus.org Imagine With Us] , official website supporting Prop 3.
* [http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/title-sum/prop3-title-sum.htm California Voter's Guide for Proposition 3]
* [http://ag.ca.gov/cms_pdfs/initiatives/2007-07-24_07-0034_Initiative.pdf Official Ballot Text]
* [http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1301053&session=2007 Committee filing for the California Children's Hospital Association Initiative Fund]
* [http://www.californiapropositions.org/prop3.html CaliforniaPropositions.org Prop 3 information page]
* [http://calvoter.org/voter/elections/2008/general/props/prop3.html California Voter Online guide to Proposition 3]
* [http://www.smartvoter.org/2008/11/04/ca/state/prop/3/ Smart Voter Guide to Proposition 3]

References

Additional reading

* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/21/BA5Q131FD6.DTL State Proposition 3 would fund children's hospitals]
* [http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/1253189.html Children's hospitals seek more bond money with Prop 3]