Annotated bibliography

"California Proposition 30, Sales and Income Tax Increase (2012)." Ballotpedia. Ballotpedia, 23 Sept. 2012. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_30,_Sales_and_Income_Tax_Increase_(2012)>.

This website provides information regarding ballot initiatives and elections proposed to voters in the style of an online encyclopedia such as Wikipedia. It defines the amendment in question, provides supporting and opposing arguments, supporting and opposing funding information as well as the legislation process necessary to ratify the initiated amendment. Of particular interest is the list of donors as well as donation amounts. Additionally, the article's topical arguments for and against proposition 30 are quoted and cited from original supporting and opposing publications. External links are provided for the government's fiscal analysis of the proposition, polling data regarding support of polled possible voters, signature requirements, and most importantly, links for in-text citations.

Reynolds, Mark. "Unfiltered Political News. For You. By You." Independent Voter Network. Independent Voter Network, 10 Sept. 2012. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://ivn.us/2012/09/10/proposition-30-wont-fix-california-budget-issues/>.

The author of this article focuses on California's democratic processes with regard to ballot initiatives and spending within the state. He provides specific commentary on the process by which California funds the state government, and critiques its effectiveness. He points out that Californians have the ability to vote on proposition 30, potentially limiting the now 6 billion dollars proposed to be cut from education, but Californians do not receive a democratic choice in regards to spending. The author notes that this is of significance as state corrections accounts for 4 billion more in spending than the states institutions for higher learning, namely the UC and State colleges. The author's commentary suggests that budgetary decisions are too sensitive, and require too much research and expertise for average voters. It is the author's commentary that fiscal issues should reside in the hands of elected legislators, rather than the voting populace. He supports this commentary with spending statistics relative to the other states in the country. In order to accomplish this, the author suggests lengthening term limits in the California legislature to allow representatives adequate time to solve budget crises.