Election time is upon us. Whether you choose to send your ballot in by mail or visit your local polling place on Election Day, it’s time to get clear on the issues. Here are some of the Mirror’s endorsements. More to come in the following weeks.
Local Santa Monica measures
Measure U – Amend existing city charter sections.
Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes. As far as I know there is NO opposition to this measure, which should tell you something. We need to give our City Manager more authority to hire and fire.
Measure V – Clean beaches and ocean parcel tax.
Please vote yes. We like our beaches and hope you do too. Let’s work to keep them clean and inviting.
Measure W – Amending charter section XXII, the taxpayer protection amendment of 2000.
We vote NO. We like the idea of promoting more democracy, not less. The existing statute, which passed just a few years ago, puts restraints on the amount of money any candidate can raise from an individual (other than himself). It means more focus on more people to help fund campaigns. Next up should be greater work to foster more public participation in voting, like Proportional Representation and weekend balloting.
Measure Y – Marijuana lowest law enforcement priority police ordinance.
Vote YES. We support this measure. Most council candidates oppose this measure because they want the police union endorsement. What I have heard time and again is that under this ordinance if a policeman smells marijuana coming from an apartment he cannot investigate. Sounds good to me. You don’t investigate people drinking alcohol or taking Prozac or Valium. Leave pot smokers alone. And yes, let’s send a message to the Feds to stop the stupid war on drugs and get real about it.
Measure BB – The newest bond measure for SMMUSD.
We support education and think this is a good measure. Vote YES. And tell them to pull up some of the asphalt and put more green space at our schools.
City of LA Ballot Measures
Prop H – A $1 billion affordable housing bond measure trumpeted by Antonio Villaraigosa. Let’s spend some of that money on Lincoln Place. And others like it. The City needs to buy affordable housing projects that help keep people in place rather then building new ones and enriching the developers. We like the idea of helping the city with its affordable housing needs and will vote YES.
Prop J – I live in a fire zone and have had firemen come to my house in order to pull my kid’s leg from a chair, so I appreciate their very existence and how they have saved our neighborhoods time and again. Support this measure with a YES vote.
Prop R – LA City Councilmember term limits will be expanded to three terms instead of two, along with other lobbying, campaign finance and ethics laws. When you have a Councilman like Bill Rosendahl in office, two terms is not nearly long enough. Neither are three for that matter, but this is a wholly reasonable compromise. Vote YES.
Candidates for State Office
Senator – Dianne Feinstein. Too hawkish for my taste, but who isn’t these days?
State Assembly – Julia Brownley. Let’s see if Santa Monica can do better than the 3,500 votes she garnered in the primary.
Lt. Governor – Vote for John Garamendi. Of course without Schwarzenegger, workers compensation insurance would have buried our businesses. Garamendi owes a lot of his success as insurance commissioner to the governor.
Secretary of State – Vote for Debra Bowen (twice if they let you). This lady is the ace of the bunch. Make SURE to vote for her. Plus she is local.
Controller ­– Tony Strickland. A tightwad Republican for Controller? Why not?
Treasurer – Bill Lockyer.
Attorney General – We like Jerry Brown, but we also like Green candidate Michael S. Wyman. This is a good race to keep Greens on the ballot.
State Ballot Measures
1A, 1B, 1C, 1D – It is too bad we have to pay so much in interest to pay our way, but the elected officials are just stuck in this rut. Imagine having a $10 billion infrastructure project with another $9 billion in interest. That is what you are looking at. This must be a measure supported by brokerage firms. But then, every time I look at my home mortgage the same reality hits me. Vote YES, as all are necessary.
State Measure 1E – YES
Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act of 2006. Legislative Bond Act.
State Measure 83 – YES
Sex Offenders. Sexually Violent Predators. Punishment, Residence Restrictions and Monitoring. Initiative Statute.
State Measure 84 – YES
Water Quality, Safety and Supply. Flood Control. Natural Resource Protection. Park Improvements. Bonds. Initiative Statute.
State Measure 85 – NO
It is just another attack on abortion rights. Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of Minor’s Pregnancy. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
State Measure 86 – YES
It will get to the point where kids can’t afford cigarettes, which is a good thing. Tax on Cigarettes. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
State Measure 87 – YES
Just remember Chevron is against this. The State of California can be a leader in alternative energy; let’s help a little. Alternative Energy. Research, Production, Incentives. Tax on California Oil Producers. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
State Measure 88 – YES
Education Funding. Real Property Parcel Tax. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
State Measure 89 – YES
Political Campaigns. Public Financing. Corporate Tax Increase. Campaign Contribution and Expenditure Limits. Initiative Statute.
State Measure 90 – NO
This can hurt local governments’ right to control development. Government Acquisition, Regulation of Private Property. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Tune in next week for more Mirror political coverage.
Michael Rosenthal
Publisher
