NAPAWF-San Diego: California Ballot Recommendations 

NAPAWF (National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum) is the only national, multi-issue Asian and Pacific Islander (API) women’s organization in the country. Fifteen years ago, 156 fierce API women gathered in Los Angeles and founded NAPAWF to be the organization that is dedicated to building the movement that advances social justice and human rights for API women and girls in the United States. We are comprised of activists, organizers, teachers, service providers, students, and change makers committed to building a visible and progressive voice for API women and girls. A group of 10 API women came together and decided to start up the local chapter in San Diego in June 2012.

These are NAPAWF-SD chapter’s ballot recommendations. Please take our recommendations into consideration and keep in the mind the best interest for API women and girls when you vote at the polls on Tuesday, November 6th.

Yes on 30 – Temporary Taxes to Fund Education. Proposition 30 would create revenue of approximately $6 billion dollars annually primarily to support California’s education system. It would do so by increasing personal income tax on high income earners and increasing sales tax by 1/4 cent per dollar for four years. If this tax initiative does not pass, there will be massive layoffs all over the state, and schools will be forced to increase their classroom sizes  which will affect greatly API women who are students, teachers, parents, etc. A large portion of API students attend public schools in San Diego (Mira Mesa and Morse High being some of the largest), and this measure would affect the quality of their education.

No on 32 – Special Exemptions Act. Proposition 32 prohibits payroll deduction for political campaigns. This hurts unions more than corporations because payroll deductions are labor’s main vehicle for raising political funds, whereas corporations use their profits instead to fund political campaigns. If this passes, it will silence working families’ voices in politics, which means corporations will have full reign to pass ballot initiatives and get politicians in office who will pass policies that are not in the best interest of API women and girls. In San Diego, a significant number of union members are of API descent, especially our Pilipina nurses as well as Pilipina and Vietnamese home care providers.

Yes on 34 – Eliminates Death Penalty in CA. Since reinstatement of the death penalty in the U.S., 140 innocent men and women have been freed from death row. Proposition 34 would guarantee that California never again executes an innocent person. This is not only a moral issue but also a fiscal issue. Proposition 34 would save approximately $130 million a year, which after a few years, would be allocated back to California general fund that can provide more money for education, social services, and more that would directly help API women and girls.

Yes on 35 – Increase Penalty for Human Trafficking. California harbors three of FBI’s 13 highest child sex trafficking areas in the nation: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego. Many victims are young API women. Proposition 35 would increase prison sentences and fines for human traffickers. Those fines would then to go towards services for victims as well as more law enforcement and training around human trafficking.

Yes on 37 – Mandatory Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food. Proposition 37 requires the labeling of consumer food products made from genetically engineered plant or animal materials. It prohibits labeling or advertising such food as “natural.” API women & girls have a right to know whether or not their food is genetically engineered. If this doesn’t pass, API women & girls may be eating foods that affect their health in a negative way. With diabetes and heart disease rates rising in API populations, we believe preventive care is a priority.

 
Yes on Z (for City of San Diego voters) – San Diego Unified School District facility bond. Proposition Z will raise $2.8 billion through an increase on property taxes to provide urgently needed funding for every neighborhood school and charter school in the San Diego Unified School District. It will fix leaky roofs and deteriorating electrical wires at 60-year-old schools, and construct new classrooms, science labs and other facilities in neighborhoods where the population has outgrown the schools. The school district has been hard hit by state budget cuts, and this will ensure that San Diego students (including API girls and young women) will be able to learn in a healthy and safe environment.

NAPAWF-San Diego’s 2012 Board Members:

Trinh Le, Co-Chair
Linda Le, Co-Chair
Lang Fang, Vice Chair
Amy Chang, Secretary
Laurie Virtusio, Treasurer
Cynthia Khambounheuang, Membership

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