Opponents of Proposition 174 Hold Giant Fund-Raising Advantage

By Lynn Olson

If the conventional wisdom about ballot initiatives in California--that victory goes to the side with the most money to spend on media advertising--holds true, the school-voucher initiative appears headed for defeat next month.

Opponents of Proposition 174 currently hold a nearly nine-to-one fund-raising advantage over its backers.

"Historically, if there's asymmetrical spending ... and, particularly if the side that has more money is the 'no' side, it's really hard to get something passed,'' said Bruce Cain, the associate director of the Institute for Governmental Studies at the University...