HOPE.ACT.VOTE. is a statewide campaign created and implemented by Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), that aims to mobilize California’s 1.6 million Latina registered voters to become informed citizens, effective policy advocates, and active civic participants through an interactive advocacy web-portal.
BLOG Spotlight
In Legislative Budget Fight, there will be blood
By Dan Walters
Mercury News
If nothing else, the California budget imbroglio has brought the
Capitol’s stark ideological conflict - very liberal Democrats vs. very
conservative Republicans and no more than a handful of even
semi-moderates - into razor-sharp focus.
With the Democrats now insisting on more than $8 billion in new
taxes, mostly on business and the affluent, to cover much of the
state’s whopping budget deficit, and Republicans rejecting them as
damaging to the state’s struggling economy, the stage is set for a cage
fight. And that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Every year HOPE analyzes the California State Budget Through a "Latina Lens" in the areas of Health Care, Education, and Economic Empowerment. Given Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's unofficial estimate of a 20.2 billion dollar budget deficit, this year's analysis is especially timely. In this way, the analysis exclusively examines specific budget items where a lack of funding will disproportionately affect the well-being of Latinas and the California community at large. The 2008 HOPE budget analysis aims to equip HOPE.ACT.VOTE. changemakers with important data to become effective advocates for Latinas as California's elected officials continue forward with the state budget decision-making process.
Latinas are a part of the fastest growing demographic in California. In 2050, the Latina population in the state is estimated to increase over 250% percent from the 6.2 million Latinas in 2005. Currently, around half of the current population is between the ages of 5-18. Latinas, in particular, represent nearly 23% (1.4 million) of total K-12 enrollment. Clearly Latinas are a major part of California’s education system and are significantly impacted by education reform measures. Assembly Bill 2648 (Bass) would develop a five year plan to expand and establish Multiple Pathway Programs throughout California. Multiple Pathway programs innovatively connect academics to real-world applications. A new approach to learning that makes sense.
