HI — It’s 2017 and I just saw this msg from Wayne Lusvardi, randomly. Am replying now in case he gets the response — better late than never! Wayne, the reason I signed my full name on the post, Zabrae Valentine, was precisely to do what you asked — be fully transparent. It’s a somewhat unusual name, for better or worse, pretty easy to google, which I figured anyone who cared would do. At the time this was written, you would have seen I was one of the founders of Ca Fwd, and immediate past exec. director of the Action Fund and deputy director of CA Fwd itself. My response wasn’t to defend the measure as a paid hack, but as someone intimately familiar with the serious and highly inclusive work that had gone into preparation of the measure. Every single point I made could have been fact checked at the time, very easily. All true. thanks, again, Zabrae Valentine.

I worked for government for over two decades, am a union member, a former social worker and affordable housing analyst. Who has more credibility, especially when you remain anonymous and don’t reveal who you are or if you are a paid apparatchik of California Forward or on Mr. Berggruen’s payroll? So everything you write has to be dismissed until — as Prop 31 says — you are “transparent” about who you are.

Prop 31 was based on recommendations by CA Forward – this is correct. And CA Fwd’s fiscal reform recommendations grew out of more than two years of extensive, “accessible by anyone interested” discussions, all over the state, and examination of best practices in other states as well as past successes and failures within CA. This level of transparency, inclusion and consultation is practically unheard of in the drafting of ballot measures. Ca Fwd also organized four discrete efforts specifically designed to surface as much information as possible about the problems that Prop 31 addresses, and how best to solve them (http://caforward.3cdn.net/3d873da84c136dc965_irm6iv4vi.pdf).

In addition to hundreds of informal meetings, CA Fwd organized a workgroup of local government leaders; they hosted a series of Stakeholder Roundtables in Sacramento in early 2011 with stakeholders and experts in education, local government, health and human services, economic development, and labor (after each meeting, the framework was revised to incorporate stakeholder suggestions); they organized a statewide conversation called “Speak Up California” including more than 60 meetings across California with civic leaders, business leaders, non-profit advocates, elected officials, and other interested citizens discussed how to reform California’s government; and then, to get even more detailed feedback from stakeholders across the state, they organized 10 Regional Stakeholder meetings in San Diego, Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, the Central Valley, and the Bay Area. Input from all of these convenings was painstakingly considered and integrated into the proposals that before Prop 31. Last, CA Fwd was a partner in the “What’s Next California” Statewide Deliberative Poll in June 2011, that also tested many of the proposals in Prop 31.

Prop 31 includes several provisions that together will make govt more transparent and accountable, link funding of programs to their actual performance over time, encourage lawmakers to make changes along the way to ensure policies continue to be effective, and give the public greater access to government decision making. Supporters of 31 are plentiful and diverse, including: Delaine Eastin; John Welty (Pres, CSU Fresno); CA State Student Assoc.; Lee Baca (LA Co Sheriff); Asm. Kristin Olsen; Sen. Desaulnier; Sen. Wolk; Latino and Latina Roundtable; HOPE; United Latinos; CA Chamber; LA Chamber; SF Chamber; SV Leadership Group; Bay Area Council; Small Biz Action Cmte; R.E.A.L. Coalition; Kern CO Taxpayers Assoc.; CA Church IMPACT; CA Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley; and many others. Newspapers that have endorsed include: Merc News; SF Chron; Oakland Trib; Contra Costa Times; Fresno Bee; SD Union Trib; LA Daily News (and many others). This is a complicated measure — but it’s been crafted in the full light of day, with input from hundreds of folks, over a number of years, to ensure the elements are those widely considered to be the most beneficial to Californians. Thanks very much — Zabrae Valentine

California League of Conservation Voters.
California Federation of Teachers
Peace Officers Research Association of California
Health Access California.
California Tax Reform Association.

Thought you might actually give these organizations some credit. But I guess that would be too much to hope for from the Dog.