Yes on A

Measure A would extend the half-cent sales tax in Santa Clara County for 30 years, providing funding to extend BART should an extension become economically and politically feasible, plus other transit improvements including an upgrade and electrification of Caltain. It's not perfect, but there is enough flexibility to bring about some major improvements to public transit for decades to come. (The Weekly's full editorial on the measure appeared in our October 25th issue.)

Yes on B

Measure B authorizes a parcel tax of $39 per year on most residential properties (more on large and commercial parcels) to be collected by the Santa Clara Valley Water District for flood protection projects and creek habitat protection and restoration. The 15-year tax requires a two-thirds vote and will allow the district to implement a plan that combines flood control measures on problem creeks, including San Francisquito, and water quality and habitat improvements.

Yes on 32: Veterans' bonds

Authorizes the state to issue $500 million in bonds to fund loans to veterans for home purchases.

Yes on 33: Lawmakers' retirement benefits

Allows state legislators to participate in the public employee retirement system (PERS).

No on 34: Campaign reforms

A deceptive and devious measure that tries to block the reforms the voters passed in 1996's Proposition 208. Every campaign reform group and the League of Women Voters oppose 34, but weren't allowed to write ballot arguments against it. If 34 wins, Proposition 208 spending limits are replaced with huge new limits and no regulation of so-called "soft money" donations.

Yes on 35: State contracts

Allows private engineers and architects to bid for jobs that must now be handled by state employees, and will speed up road and school construction projects that now get bogged down in Sacramento bureaucracies.

Yes on 36: Drug treatment

Would require that non-violent drug possession offenders be sent for rehabilitation treatment instead of jail or state prison, as long as the sale or manufacture of drugs was not involved. The diversion policy would also not apply in cases involving another crime, including possession of a firearm, or for offenders with a prior conviction for a serious or violent crime.

No on 37: Environmental fees

Attempts to reclassify regulatory fees paid by certain businesses to address environmental or health effects of their products to be taxes, thereby requiring a two-thirds vote of the legislature or voters for them to be imposed. The oil and tobacco companies are funding the campaign for 37, hoping to get out from under the fees that have been imposed on them by the Legislature.

No on 38: School vouchers

Would require the state to pay any family, regardless of need, $4,000 or more per year for tuition in private or religious schools, taking badly needed funds out of the public school system. It would cost as much as $2-3 billion just to make voucher payments to the mostly higher-income families who are already enrolled in private schools. Even longtime voucher proponents are opposing this plan. We need to be encouraging families to support and attend public schools and this measure does just the opposite.

Yes on 39: School facilities

Would change the current two-thirds requirement for the passage of local school bond measures to 55 percent. This measure is nearly identical to the one narrowly defeated last March changing the requirement to a simple majority, and would help the many school districts that have substantial support for bonds but that can't achieve the two-thirds approval level.