The Challenge
Forward Observer was retained by Californians Against Unaccountable Taxes, an industry committee opposing Proposition 86 on the November 2006 California statewide ballot.  The initiative would have raised billions in new taxes to fund various health programs. The client needed to rebut advocates who argued the measure would fund vitally needed health care.

The Solution
To help establish a strong factual base for the client, Forward Observer sourced a team of health care experts, affiliated with the Indiana School of Public Health, who concluded that Prop. 86 provided hospitals with “a strong incentive to charge very high prices to the uninsured” in order to maximize revenues under the measure.  We also sourced a pair of experts with extensive state auditing expense, who found numerous areas of ambiguity in the initiative and concluded hospitals would be “inventive” in spending funds allocated to them by the measure.  Forward Observer also worked closely with an economist retained by the client, editing and revising the economist’s draft so that it was suitable for public release.

Forward Observer conducted a wide range of research tasks and developed numerous written products, including proprietary reports for assisting the client in evaluating the relative importance of opposition assertions.

Since the campaign debate revolved in part around the financial health of California’s public and private hospitals, Forward Observer researched hospital finance in depth and provided its findings in the form of background materials and supportive documents to the campaign’s media relations team.

Forward Observer senior staff served as an integral part of the campaign’s communications team, fact-checking all earned and paid media and assisting in rapid response.

The Result
Forward Observer’s materials were used by the campaign to buttress all aspects of its press and voter communications.  In early polling, Proposition 86 was ahead 63% to 32%.  On Election Day, the measure failed by 295,052 votes, 48% to 52%.

Services Provided
• Strategy Consulting
• Economic Analysis
• Opposition Research

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