[How I, a registered democrat, am voting for the environment in the June 6, 2006 primaries in California. I'm stuck voting at my old address at zip 90035. Here's my current voting list.]

My vote on Prop 82: Yes
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Prop 82 amends the California Constitution and state law to create and support a new, publicly funded, voluntary preschool program for children to attend in the year prior to kindergarten.

The program would be funded by an increase in personal income tax rates for individuals with incomes over $400,000 and couples with incomes over $800,000.

This means taxes go up by 1.7% on the wealthiest .6% of Cal residents to fund preschools in which 1 credentialed teacher — with at least a BA — and 1 credentialed teacher’s aide would teach classes of no more than 20 students. The prop also includes $700 million in scholarships to let preschool teachers get college degrees.

Boxer, DiFi, and Villaraigosa have endorsed prop 82. According to Speak Out California, Prop 82 “will help middle-class families because they won’t have to sacrifice other essentials to pay for their children’s pre-school experience.”

Who’s agains prop 82? According to Speak Out California, “the No. 1 donor against Prop. 82 is Don Fisher, owner of The Gap, who along with his family has put in hundreds of thousands of dollars to defeat the measure.” Opponents say the $2.4 billion that would be raised from Prop 82 would be better spent fixing up K-12 schools — but don’t seem willing to actually put money towards that purpose.

There’s some disagreement as to the net dollar benefit prop 82 would bring to Californian taxpayers. But the benefit to the children of California seems undeniable.

Full disclosure: My mom runs a pre-school in Orange. I don’t feel like that’s weighing heavily on my vote here, but maybe it is, just unconsciously…

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