The group opposing Proposition 11, which would reform how political districts are drawn in California, has pointed out that most of the large donors to the pro-11 side are wealthy developers and businessman.

A press release from Paul Hefner, a spokesman for the No on Prop. 11 group Citizens for Accountability, pointed out that among the top contributors to the measure are New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso and oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens.

Bloomberg, who is also worth an estimated $11 billion, has contributed $250,000. Caruso and Pickens have each donated $100,000.

Another $2.4 million has come from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is one of the leading proponents of Proposition 11, along with groups such as the AARP and Common Cause.

Those hoping to beat the initiative were dealt a slight setback when the Service Employees International Union, which includes many state workers who often side with Democrats opposed to the measure, voted to stay neutral on the proposition earlier this week.

In the release, Hefner said the presence of so many wealthy donors suggests redistricting would benefit them, rather than everyday voters.

"Then again, Prop. 11 isn't really reform - it's just another scheme to change our Constitution to give new powers over drawing districts to politicians, bureaucrats and people picked at random - people who aren't accountable to anyone for the decisions they make," Hefner wrote in the release.

If approved, Proposition 11 would have a 14-member committee formed after the next U.S. Census in 2010 to draw boundaries for California State Assembly, Senate and Board of Equalization districts.

Committee members would be selected at random by a panel of state auditors, and could not be current or recent elected officials or political insiders. The panel would have five Democrats and five Republicans as well as four members not affiliated with either of the top two political parties.

The redistricting panel would have to follow criteria such as geographic integrity and reasonable geographic boundaries. Nine votes would be necessary to approve new districts.

Congressional district boundaries would still be drawn by state legislators, but subject to the same criteria.

Polls have shown the proposition with less than 50 percent support so far, though the pro-11 side has raised thousands for a campaign touting the measure.