SAN FRANCISCO, California, October 12, 2006—In this November’s election, initiatives on the ballot offer Californians the chance to make decisions that will be critical to the state’s quality of life for decades to come. But how many of them will actually rise to the occasion, given the low turnout in recent elections? And how much do they know about the challenges the state faces and how the initiatives address those challenges? In a new publication released today by the Public Policy Institute of California, research director Mark Baldassare poses ten questions that voters should be asking themselves—and the candidates and current officeholders who want their support. California’s Future: In Your Hands provides information vital to understanding the issues, the ways the initiatives address them, and how these issues may play out after the election.

Funded in part by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, this report is a product of California 2025,a PPIC multidisciplinary, multi-year research project that looks out over the next two decades and examines various forces that could erode or enhance life in the Golden State.

Please feel free to call (415/291-4412) or email (bond@ppic.org) me for assistance.

PPIC is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public policy through objective, nonpartisan research on the economic, social, and political issues that affect Californians. The institute was established in 1994 with an endowment from William R. Hewlett. PPIC does not take or support positions on any ballot measure or on any local, state, or federal legislation, nor does it endorse, support, or oppose any political parties or candidates for public office.