Dear Kossack friends,
Greetings from the glamourous(?) San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, CA where the big election is fast approaching. We have a full ballot with elections for everything from POTUS and U.S. Senator to local offices and of course, the propositions. In California it is always about the propositions!
This is the blog version of my Zack’s Picks election email newsletter. My newsletter goes out to about a hundred addresses and some of them forward it on to others. It is a grassroots way to share information and cut through the crap that comes on TV and in the mailbox. We should be as well-informed voters as we can. Polls are open from 7AM to 8PM on Tuesday. You can take your completed and signed absentee ballot to any polling place in your county and save on postage. Voting is easy and fun in CA, and then we can have a victory party on Tuesday night 11/8/2016!
Now let’s look at the ballot together:
POTUS and VPOTUS: While the presidential race seems to be turning into a reality TV game show featuring the “Orange Anus” battling against “Madame President” we still have to vote. Our 55 electoral votes will go to Clinton and Kaine. Donald Trump is the worst major party presidential nominee I have ever seen. CA will tell Donald, “You’re Fired”.
U.S. Senator: CA Attorney General Kamala Harris is the better candidate in this two-Dem runoff. She is also an almost sure winner. Loretta Sanchez will not be the first Latina Senator; that honor will go to Catherine Cortez Masto from NV.
U.S. Representative: There are some interesting races in CA, though not here in the east SFV. I like Michael Eggman in CA-10, Mike Honda in CA-17, Jimmy Panetta in CA-20 and Emilio Huerta in CA-21 in NorCal districts. The top races in SoCal are CA-25 with Bryan Caforio looking to defeat Steve Knight (R-inc.) and CA-49 where we have Doug Applegate challenging the odious Darrell Issa. With a good turnout it is possible to see as many as four or five House seats picked up in CA. In two-Dem races I recommend Nanette Barragan in CA-44 and Bao Nguyen in CA-46.
CA State Senator: SD-25 Anthony Portantino SD-27 Henry Stern SD-29 Josh Newman
CA Assemblymember: AD-39 Patty Lopez AD-46 Adrin Nazarian AD-47 Eloise Reyes
L.A. County Supervisor: 4th District Janice Hahn 5th Darrell Park
L.A. Superior Court Judges: #11 Debra Archuleta #42 Alicia Molina #84 Susan Jung Townsend #158 Kim Nguyen All are endorsed by the LACDP (County Dem party).
Ballot Measures: Now we get to the main part of the ballot, the props. There are different ways to learn about them. There’s the Proposition Song at calvoter.org. “You should all be singing along, because the ballot is too darn long...” There are even haikus: This November 8th Seventeen propositions Are on the ballot… (h/t to Damian Carroll, DP/SFV activist who came up with them). Californians are creative people!
Yes on 51: This is a $9 billion general obligation bond issue to build and repair public schools and community colleges statewide. Polling has it close, but it should pass.
Yes on 52: A Hospital fee Matched with federal dollars Funds Medi-Cal boost. This has lots of Yes ads and little opposition.
No on 53: This requires statewide votes on large local infrastructure projects funded by revenue bonds. Revenue bonds, unlike general obligation bonds, are funded by the users of the project (for example, bridge tolls.) We already have to vote on too many ballot measures!
No on 54: 54 would slow down the legislative process in Sacramento and would give special interests more power to block action on important issues. More transparency is a good thing but this is not the right way to create it.
Yes on 55: This extends the upper income tax rates (but not the sales tax increase) from Prop 30 of 2012 to fund public education (K-12 and CCs). I think this will pass.
Yes on 56: 56 raises the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack to fund health care and tobacco use prevention. The tobacco company ads against this one are not just a pack of lies, but are a whole carton! I think this might pass because there is more money than usual on the Yes side (thanks, Tom Steyer). Usually tobacco tax proponents are outspent by ten to one. This time it is only 2 or 3 to one. Even with the increase the tax will not be one of the highest in the country.
Yes on 57: Criminal sentencing changes. This requires that judges rather than prosecutors decide if kids should be tried as adults. It also allows parole for more nonviolent offenders and creates incentive for rehabilitation.
Yes on 58: Multilingual education: 58 restores flexibility to local school districts (amending Prop 227 passed in the ‘90s) in the way they can teach kids English with input from parents and teachers. It also increases opportunities for native English speakers to learn other languages.
Yes on 59: This advisory measure opposes the USSC Citizens United decision. It directs our CA officials to propose and ratify a constitutional amendment to allow regulation and limitation of political campaign contributions and spending.
No on 60: Adult films. Condoms. 60 requires condom use in sex films. While it would seem like a workplace safety issue, this poorly-written prop would increase lawsuits and job losses and not accomplish what it tries to do. Productions will leave the SFV and move to Nevada or wherever. The workers in that branch of the entertainment industry don’t support it.
Yes on 61: Prescription Drugs. This one is trying to limit drug costs in CA by limiting the amount the state will pay for pharmaceuticals. The Pharma industry is spending about $100 million to defeat it. In the unlikely event that it passes they will spend more millions to tie it up in the courts. I am voting Yes because we do need to control drug prices, even though this one will probably not succeed in that task. For anyone missing the primary season, you get to see Bernie in TV again because he is one of the supporters featured in some spots.
Yes on 62: Death penalty. 62 would replace capital punishment with sentences of life without possibility of parole. Latest polling shows it falling short of passing, but it isn’t over until it is over.
Yes on 63: Firearms. Ammunition sales. This has some gun safety regulations and limits on ammunition sales. “Guns don’t kill, bullets do!”
Yes on 64: Marijuana legalization. Prohibition of alcohol didn’t work very well either. Legalizing, regulating and taxing cannabis will increase public safety while weakening criminal gangs. This one might actually pass. Huzzah to the younger folks whose votes will make it happen!
No on 65: Bogus Bag Bill. This one was put on the ballot by the plastics industry to confuse voters into opposing the single-use plastic bag ban referendum (Yes on 67).
No on 66: Speeds up the death penalty by limiting the appeals process. 66 is trailing in the polling, so we may end up with the status quo in capital punishment even though most people think it needs to change.
Yes on 67: Ban on single-use plastic bags. This referendum is to allow the bill passed by the Legislature a couple of years ago to go into effect. Yes on 67 reduces litter, protects our ocean and wildlife and saves resources. This extends the bag ban statewide. We have had this in L.A. for a few years and it works well.
Those are the numbers; now for the letters (local measures):
Yes on A: for parks, beaches and open space.
Yes on M: Traffic improvement plan. A half-cent sales tax to fund various forms of transportation in Los Angeles County.
Yes on CC: Community College bonds (LACCD)
Yes on HHH: Homelessness reduction and housing bonds (L.A. City).
Yes on JJJ: Affordable housing and labor standards related to city planning.
No on RRR: This would change aspects of the governance of the LADWP, giving more independence to the utility. It would also move the utility billing cycle from bimonthly to monthly.
zzz on SSS: Lets airport police Into the same pension plan As LAPD. This changes the city charter so it has to go before the voters, but since it is revenue neutral, why should I care? I might leave it blank or vote yes. Yawn…
That is the ballot from here. I am thankful I don’t live in San Francisco where there are 25 local measures. Thanks for reading, commenting and voting,
Your friend, Zack from the SFV
So what do you think? Which propositions will pass? Which ones should pass? The floor is open to you. All the above picks are mine alone and were not paid for by any person or campaign.
PS: To get good outcomes in elections we need to Get Out the Vote. Here in the SFV we have a great local organization to make it happen. The Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley is composed of a couple dozen local grassroots clubs. We have our HQ this year at 12208 Victory Blvd (at Bellingham, west of Laurel Canyon) in North Hollywood. The office is open every day until Tuesday with lots for people to do. We need phoners, precinct walkers and others to help out. Tonight until 8PM, Saturday through Monday from 8AM to 8:30PM and 6AM to 8PM on election Day.
DP/SFV phone number is 818-995-3367. 818-995-DEMS. Thanks for your help!
