WILPF general meeting

WILPF General Meeting
January 15, 2008, 7:00pm
Friends' Meeting House, 225 Rooney St., in Santa Cruz.

Fred Keeley to Address WILPF General Meeting

On Tuesday January 15, 2008 at the WILPF general meeting, Fred Keeley, Treasurer-Tax Collector of Santa Cruz County, as well as former County Supervisor and former representative for the Monterey Bay area in the California State Assembly, will present information and his perspectives on seven statewide measures that will appear on the February 5, 2008 election ballot. In addition, he will discuss three possible measures to address the controversial question of what process should control how the California Legislature undertakes redistricting for future elections. The meeting will be held as usual at the Friends' Meeting House, 225 Rooney St., in Santa Cruz.

The year 2008 will be a busy election year in California, with three elections scheduled (February, June and November). Voters will be faced with many critical choices at each election. The February statewide ballot will contain (in addition to the presidential primary) seven ballot propositions, Propositions 91-97, some of which are not yet widely known. The three initiatives to amend the California constitution include: Proposition 91 (Transportation Funding); Proposition 92 (Community Colleges Funding); and Proposition 93 (Legislative Term Limits). In addition, four referendum petitions (Props. 94-97) to amend Indian Gaming Compacts in four areas of California will also be before the voters.

We are fortunate to have the lengthy governmental expertise of Fred Keeley at our meeting to help us sort out these ballot issues and make informed choices at the February election. Prior to his current service as County Treasurer-Tax Collector (where he is responsible for the daily management of a $650 million public sector investment portfolio), Mr. Keeley served as Executive Director of the Planning & Conservation League and the PCL Foundation. During his six-year service (1996-2002) in the California Assembly, he served for four years as Speaker pro Tem under three Speakers. As such he was the highest ranking member of the Speaker's leadership team, and was responsible for analysis and management of the majority's policy initiatives. In addition, he authored significant legislation on ocean policy (the Marine Life Management Act), and the two largest park and environmental protection bonds in the nation's history, a total of $4.7 billion. During the California energy crisis his legislative leadership is credited with stabilizing electricity prices and electricity supply.

Upon his retirement from the state Assembly in 2002, the University of California at Santa Cruz established a lecture series on the environment in his honor. Mr. Keeley is also co-chair of the Commonwealth Club's Voices of Reform project, a Trustee of the California Ocean Science Trust, President of the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood Advocates, and teaches at San Jose State University.

The outcome of the February 2008 ballot measures will be in our hands. Join us on January 15 for an educational evening to help make your vote this February well-informed, and have an opportunity to spread the word.