Week #1

http://www.mercurynews.com/elections/ci_21374874/california-voters-prefer-gov-jerry-browns-tax-measure

The article I read talks not only about proposition 30, but also proposition 38, which is basically the opposing proposition. It states that proposition 30, Gov. Jerry Browns tax initiative, will increase income tax on people who make more than $500,000 a year, and increase sales tax by a quarter cent. This will raise $6 billion a year, which is the amount that would have to be cut from schools if the proposition fails. Proposition 38, civil rights attorney Molly Mungers initiative, is a similar deal, except that it will increase income tax for almost everyone, besides those who make around $7,000 and under a year. It would raise $10 billion a year for the next 12 years.
The article is mainly about the current polling for the proposition. It states that proposition 30 currently has a small lead for online polls, but after a radio ad from the opposing side polls have dropped around 2%. Online surveys are considered controversial to some pollsters, but they try to reflect the demographics of people in California who would likely vote.

My current thoughts on proposition 30:
I have been a registered voter for about 7 years now. I have not voted one time in my life. I understand a lot of people look down upon this, but I have always felt if I didn't feel like I was making a well educated choice then I shouldn't vote just because it's what your "suppose to do". Proposition 30 is the first proposition I have researched into, besides listening too or watching advertisement. When I first read about the proposition, my immediate instinct was to support it. I, nor anyone in my family makes over $250,000 a year and if sales taxes need to go up a quarter-cent for 4 years to avoid budget cuts in K-12 and community colleges then why wouldn't I support the initiative. As I began reading more articles and comments that people would make on articles, my sceptic side began to grow. Will this money really not be guaranteed to go directly to schools and teachers? Is this money only to pay for pensions? I am very unclear of how to make a educated choice on whether it's fair that hard working people will have even more taxes taken from them, in a state where the income tax rate is beyond crazy for the middle class, I can't imagine how much of every paycheck is being taken out of someone who makes $250,000 a year. These are my thoughts so far on proposition 30 and I'm looking forward to learning more about how to find out where the money would actually go if this proposition passed.