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Proposition 68 Seeks To Fund Parks, Environmental Restoration And Water Infrastructure Projects

Proposition 68, a ballot measure that California voters are scheduled to vote on during the June 5 primary election, would fund state and local parks, environmental projection and restoration projects as well as water infrastructure and flood protection projects by selling $4 billion in bonds.


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“Proposition 68 would authorize the state to sell $4 billion worth in general obligation bonds for long term projects related to natural resources,” said Dr. Phil Gussin, a political science professor at College of the Canyons. “It also redirects $100 million worth of previously authorized for the same purpose.”

General obligation bonds, in essence, are bonds that have been sold to investors by the state. The investors are then paid back, with interest, through the California General Fund.

Investors would purchase the bonds from the state of California, and redeem them after a period of years, during which the bond will have accumulated additional interest.

Because Proposition 68 uses this type of funding mechanism, the California Constitution requires that the ballot initiative be referred to the voters for approval or rejection.

Proponents of Proposition 68 have heralded the bill as a positive step forward for conservation efforts, California drought management and state water storage.

“Proposition 68 is a smart investment in this generation and those to come. Proposition 68 will help to build on the progress we have made across California to increase access to parks and green spaces and ensure all California families have clean, safe drinking water,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “I am proud to stand with environmental and community advocates throughout our state who are strengthening California by voting for Proposition 68.”

Standing alongside Mayor Garcetti in support of Proposition 68 are State Senator Henry Stern, (D-Canoga Park), and the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), an organization that includes the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency.

In addition to water policy, Proposition 68 dictates that 15 to 20 percent of bond funds would be given to communities with median household incomes less than 60 percent of the statewide average, which in 2016 amounted to $39,980, according to authors of Proposition 68.

This means that $725 million of bond revenue — the largest amount of funding from Proposition 68 — would go towards neighborhoods that are oftentimes considered “park poor.”

“(Proposition 68) is a win for millions of California children and families, who will soon have access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk of their home,” said Mary Creasman, California director of government affairs for The Trust for Public Land. “Park access should not be considered a luxury. It is a right, along with the clean air, clean water, and protection from climate impacts that result from these investments.”

Opponents to the bill said that although the Proposition 68 promises to service parks and low income communities, the bill actually fails to properly allocate funds equitably and pragmatically.

“Our residents in inland and rural California will not see any Proposition 68 park bond money spent to fix and improve their local state parks,” said Andrea Seastrand, president of the Central Coast Taxpayers Association, and Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association in a joint statement against the bill. “Of the $4 billion dollar bond, only $1.3 billion is actually dedicated to improving parks. A lot of the remaining money is given to politicians to spend on their pet projects.”

Seastrand and Coupal also argued that the bill fails to properly allocate funds to park maintenance and they also allege that the results of 2012 audit reveal that the state Department of Parks and Recreation “can’t be trusted.”

Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, and Assemblymember Dante Acosta, R-Santa Clarita, both opposed the presentation of Proposition 68, first introduced as SB-5, to California voters.

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Proposition 68 Seeks To Fund Parks, Environmental Restoration And Water Infrastructure Projects

2 comments

  1. Why would anyone vote to TAX themselves and their children for years to come.

  2. BOND is just a watered down name for a TAX. And so Brown think we should BORROW money to build PARKS? I don’t think so. Another SCAM.

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About Caleb Lunetta

Caleb has been a Santa Clarita resident for most of his life. After attending Hart High School, Caleb went on to study political science at the University of California, Santa Barbara along with College of the Canyons.