Saving California Communities is a Davis coalition that brings together local elected representatives and a wide cross-section of community members. We advocate for the resources necessary to support strong, healthy communities. Our organization endorses the package of state government reform proposals recently introduced by California Forward.

California Forward ( http://www.CaForward.org), a bipartisan organization working to create more responsive, representative and cost-effective government, promotes the following initiatives:

• Responsible budgets on time, including proposals to identify stable funding for state programs, continue only those programs proven effective, and reduce the legislative vote requirement for approving the state budget to a simple majority while retaining the two-thirds threshold to raise taxes.
• Government that is closer to the people, including proposals to give communities more control by preventing state borrowing of local revenues, and lowering the vote threshold for local tax measures.
• Constituent access and accountability, including a proposal to reduce the total time newly elected state legislators may serve from 14 to 12 years, regardless of whether the time is spent in the Assembly or Senate.

Although this package represents only first steps in needed reform, Saving California Communities endorses it as consistent with our own guiding principles of healthy communities, responsive government, stable revenue, and alignment of resources, responsibility, and accountability.

We believe public participation and advocacy are essential to mobilizing for reform. Saving California Communities will continue to study statewide reform efforts and promote public dialogue and debate of these issues.

For more information or to join our effort, visit http://www.SavingCA.org.

Bob Agee, Jan Agee, Sheila Allen, Ruth Asmundson, Janet Berry, Mark Braly, Davis Campbell, Delaine Eastin, Lucas Frerichs, Jackie Hausman, Anne Hawke, Michael Hulsizer, Sara Husby Janet Krovoza, Joe Krovoza, Al Lewis, Susan Lovenburg, Betsy Marchand, Jerry Marr, Kathy Marr, Steve McMahon, Karen Mo, Rita Montes Martin, Don Morrill, John Munn, Don Palm, Richard Reed, Craig Reynolds, Sarah Rock, Don Saylor, Jane Schafer-Kramer, Daniel Sharpe, Helen Thomson, Kirk Trost, Dan Wolk, Francesca Wright, Jay Ziegler