Tobacco Documents Online

Mike Huffington March 9, 1998 Secretary of State Bill Jones 1500 1 lth S~., 6th Floor Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Bill: I have recently accepted the co-chairmm~hip of the California Children and Families Initiative. It is a statewide ballot measure designed to provide health case and other services for pre-school children, funded by a fifty cent per pack tax on cigarettes. The measure is in ei.reulation arid I ~ma confident that it will appear on the November 1998 ballot. This initiative is important to me for a number of reasons. First ~.nd foremost, the tobacco tax and the anti-smoking programs it will fiend have been proven to be the most effective method to date known to reduce tobacco use and save lives. California has not signifit;antly increased the state tax on cigarettes since the voters passed Proposition 99 ten years ago. The taventy-five cent t~x increase oontained in that initiative raised the prlee of cigarettes and cut cigarette smoking by needy a third. Another very important feature of this initiative is the c~eation of a revenue stream of 700 million dollars per year dedioated to pre-school children. These programs wiI1 be funded and adaxaini,tered at the courtD, level without the oreafion of an extensive new bureaucracy. Current .~clemlfie re~eareh clearly shows that 90% of a child's brain growth and personality development takes place before the child enters school -- but. according to a Rand Corporation study, 90% of the billions of public dollars dedicated to children are spent after they enter school. Millions of children subjected to abuse or noglect will enter school unable to learn and become easy prey for gangs and drug dealers. As taxpayers, we fbot the bill for law enforcement, welfare and prisons. It is far rnore humane, sensible and cost effective to make an investment in our children early, when it will do the most good. That is what the California Children and Families Initiative will do. 510 Weal Sixth Street ~002, I.~ Ange2es, CA 90014 Ph:213-627-5140 * aq~a213-6~27-5709 T115920739

3--2:3--1998 ] 2 : &SPM FROM Match 9. I99g Pago two The sponsor of this initiative, motion picture director Rob Remcr, has been worldng on a bipartisan basis with governors including Christine Todd Whitman of.New Jersey and George Voinovich of Oklo to place this issue on the national agenda. It is my goal, as co- chair of the campaign, to build bipartisan support tie.re itl California. A Calitbrnia Field Poll released in FebrumT shows 68% of voters support this initiative. Republican voters favor it by a margin of 3 to 2. Dr. C. Everett Ko.op, the American Cancer Society and the A.m~rican Lung Association of C',difornia have endor~d it. I would be extremely grateful if you would fax your e~dorscment form to me at your earliest conveniemce. I v, ould be even more grateful if you would take the time to sign the enclosed petition and ask frienct,~ and t~nily metaabers to sign il ~dso. Your support of the California Children and Families Initiative will demonstrate to the public that Republican leaders agree with the rank and file or" our part), on this important issue. Warmest regards, M~ke Huffington T115920740

ENDORSEMENT FORM TO: Mike Huffington, Co-Chair California Children and Families Initiative YES! I support the California Children and Families Initiative. [~ You may use my name as an endorser, NAME OFFICE/TITLE PHON~ FAX ADDRESS CITY ZIP CODE ,SIGNATURE DATE Please FAX this form to (213) 62"7-5709 510 W. 6th Street, Suite 1002 o Los &ngcles, CA 90014 NOT PRr~fTED OR MAIL~,D AT TA,~PA YERS 6XFF~HSE TI15920741