From the Founder's Desk:
| In this issue, read about: » Student Contest: Develop a New Policy Option for the Budget Challenge |
A New Day Dawning in California
The election is over. The people of California have spoken and their voices ring loud and clear - they care about the future of the state. Californians want elected officials of both parties to work together to solve the state’s problems, and they showed this by supporting the infrastructure-related bonds on the November ballot. Californians understand the importance of investing for the future. This is an important moment in our history.
An achievement as important as the Governor and legislature working together to put the package of infrastructure bonds in front of voters was the passage one month ago of the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32). This extraordinary and historic piece of legislation puts California on track to reduce our carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, 25 percent of currently projected levels. This will be achieved by instituting mandatory caps, allowing businesses to use the free market system to determine their reductions. As has always been the case, California will once more present a model for the nation.
Next Ten was founded because of my belief that there was not a vision being put forth of what California’s future should look like. With the passage of these two groundbreaking proposals, the bipartisan approach that allowed both to occur, and the commitment from our residents, we are optimistic about the future of the state in ways we have never been. We must use this momentum to rebuild the trust in government that many Californians lack and begin to tackle additional issues that affect Californians, including healthcare, term limits, redistricting, and campaign finance reform. It is my hope that the bipartisanship and consensus building the Governor and legislature started this past year will lead to many more profound and positive changes for California in the years to come.
Even with all the good things happening around the state, there is always more that can be done. Next Ten will continue its mission to educate, engage and empower Californians so that, together, we can improve our future economy and quality of life. We will be releasing our third California Budget Challenge this spring. California's budget deficit, projected by the Legislative Analyst’s Office to be in the range of $4.5 to 5 billion, continues to be a problematic issue that needs attention. Dan Walters reported in the Sacramento Bee on November 13th, “Simply put, if we cannot balance our budget -- and put aside reserves -- in a period of great prosperity, what happens when the economy cools off? It tells us that the income-outgo situation is fundamentally out of whack.” Next Ten will continue to provide Californians with nonpartisan information about the state budget and how budget choices affect all of us.
In addition, we will continue the work we started with our infrastructure program. With the passage of the recent bond proposals, the public need for nonpartisan information exists now more than ever. We must continue to help inform and engage Californians on these issues so they are part of the solution. Next Ten partnered with Common Knowledge to create “Investing in California,” an eight-page brochure designed to educate all Californians on the state's infrastructure - what it looks like and the different ways the state can pay for infrastructure projects. Many thanks to our partners who are currently distributing these brochures to a broad cross-section of the state. We feel it is very important to continue these efforts while the infrastructure projects approved by the voters are being planned and implemented.
Next Ten partnered with the California Center for Regional Leadership to produce the new report “Grapes, Electrons, Surf” a background piece on how infrastructure is financed in California. Next Ten also has a library of online information devoted to infrastructure issues and an infrastructure quiz in English and Spanish, both of which are available at www.nextten.org. All of these resources are free of charge and the printed materials can be ordered or downloaded in five languages. We hope by now that you have had a chance to check out these new offerings from Next Ten. If not we encourage you to visit us online today.
Next Ten is embarking on a new program area dedicated to the environment - specifically related to educating Californians on the effects of climate change to the state’s economy and our quality of life. We believe that with the passage of AB 32 there are new opportunities that California businesses and residents will be able to take advantage of. We are actively working with the New Voice of Business as they build collaborative partnerships to develop pragmatic solutions of benefit to business, society and the world. With a focus on the economy and the emerging role of business, the New Voice of Business hopes to bring about the tipping point to a more positive future.
Again, many thanks for your continued support of Next Ten. We rely heavily on your comments and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by email at info@nextten.org or at 650.321.5417.
--F. Noel Perry
Student Contest: Develop a New Policy Option for the Budget Challenge 
From now through February 15, Next Ten will be running a contest open to all high school and college students in California to develop a new policy option for our Budget Challenge game. The winning student will receive a $2,000 scholarship award.
Additional details can be found on our website or contact Next Ten at 650.321.5417 or email info@nextten.org.
Upcoming Events
We hope to see you soon at one of these upcoming events:
- November 16: Oakland Community Listening Session
- November 30: California School board Association’s Annual Education Conference and Trade Show
- January 20 - April 22: 100 Families Oakland Exhibit: Museum Celebrates Artwork from Oakland Neighborhoods
- January 28-29: Community College League of California Annual Legislative Conference
- March 2-4: California Council of Social Studies conference “Closing the Achievement Gap: Social Studies in Action”
Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about one of these events.
Next Ten Team
Next Ten is growing! We are very pleased to have added Rosaline Raj to our team as our Communications and Program Associate. Please feel free to contact her with any outreach ideas or just to say hello at rosaline@nextten.org or at 650.321.5417.
Thank You for Your Interest in Next Ten
Please contact us at info@nextten.org for additional information or visit us online at www.nextten.org.
Next Ten is an independent, nonpartisan organization that educates, engages and empowers Californians so that, together, we can improve our future economy and quality of life.
Please note that we changed our url and email addresses and are now at www.nextten.org (without a hyphen). Please update your address books!!