If you, dear voter, cannot remember all this when you are in the
booth, just vote NO on everything
I have been researching the six measures on the ballot for the special election scheduled for May 19th. In addition to the Official Voter Information Guide and various other online resources, I found ballotpedia.org extremely clear and informative.
Historically, propositions and measures tend to pass in California. Interestingly, the polls show that as time passes, more and more people oppose these particular props. Even more interesting, a politically diverse crowd opposes them.
Republicans and Libertarians hate the tax increases; the Peace and Freedom Party opposes the promised cap on spending. The League of Women Voters, which typically follows the straight Democratic Party line, opposes or is neutral on all six. And the voters are just angry at what bond indebtedness hath wrought.
As I stated last week, I am guided by a few principles:
– If it raises taxes, I vote against it. If it lowers taxes, I vote for it.
– If it increases gerrymandering, I vote against it.
n If it increases ballot box budgeting, I vote against it. Corollary: if it decreases earmarks, I vote for it.
That said, here’s the ballot breakdown:
– 1A State Budget. NO. This proposition will increase taxes by extending the current “temporary” tax increases for two additional years. That includes the 1 percent increase in sales tax, the increase in Vehicle License Fee from 0.65 percent to 1.15 percent, and the 0.25 percent increase in state personal income tax. It contains earmarks. And I flat do not believe that the legislature will follow through on its promise to bring state spending under control. The legislature reminds me of a drunk saying, “Just give me one more little drink then I promise to quit.” Quit spending first. Then we will not need to raise taxes.
– 1B Education Funding. NO. This prop mandates $9.3 billion to K–14 education. It is ballot box budgeting at its worst. And in my admittedly biased opinion, it was written as a bribe to get the teachers unions to support 1A. 1B only takes effect if 1A passes.
– 1C Lottery Money Shuffling. Just barely NO. I am so close to neutral on this prop. On the one hand, it takes state lottery funds to augment the General Fund to balance the budget, seemingly undoing an earmark. On the other hand, it borrows the funds and promises to pay them back. As Pete Stahl wrote, “The General Fund’s now in crisis extreme. To fix it, our Governor’s hatched a daft scheme:
We shall from the Lottery five billion borrow,
And promise to pay it, with interest, tomorrow.
‘Twould make this year’s budget mess less of a slaughter-y
Borrowing future receipts from the Lottery.”
Long term borrowing to pay for ongoing expenses is exactly how California got into this mess.
– 1D Children’s Services. YES. This proposition will take money now earmarked for First Five and use it to pay for other children’s services that are normally paid for out of the General Fund. The money involved is $340 million in First Five’s unspent reserves, and $268 million of First Five’s revenue per year. This will be in effect for five years, then lapse.
– 1E Mental Health. YES. This proposition does a similar act of legerdemain, undoing an earmark with mental health funds, amounting to $225 million for two years.
– 1F Freezing Legislator Salaries. YES. This prop prevents California legislators from giving themselves a pay raise during budget deficit years. Pete Stahl, of peterates.com, is now famous because he is the only person in California to officially oppose this measure. Pete says it is petty and vindictive to freeze the salaries of the legislature, and will accomplish nothing. He is right on all those counts. I am petty and vindictive, and if those jerks in Sacramento cannot stop spending like drunken sailors, they do not deserve a raise.
If you, dear voter, cannot remember all this when you are in the booth, just vote NO on everything.
One last comment: California will never have a balanced budget until we the people stop voting for politicians who promise us bread and circuses in exchange for money and power. The same goes for the nation, every county, and every city. No more Democrats, no more RINOs. Vote fiscal conservative.
Cynthia Anne Walker is a mother of three, a mathematics teacher and a former engineer. She is a published, independent author. Her column appears each Friday.
