John Moorlach: November Statewide General Election Ballot Measures

Now that you have received your 176-page “Official Voter Information Guide” from the California Secretary of State, let me provide you with a quick voter guide for your research efforts.  And we can continue our biennial November tradition (see “November Statewide General Election Ballot Measures,” Oct. 10, 2024).

Having served in the California Legislature as a State Senator representing the 37th District and on the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee for my six years in Sacramento, let me give eight suggestions to explain my fourteen recommendations.

1. Sacramento does not need more debt. And government agencies are not efficient with your tax dollars. Think DMV and Caltrans. The best fiscal policy is to save up funds for capital projects and pay for it at the time of its needed use. This avoids paying double, by eliminating the interest costs. A bond may make sense if there is an existing funding source to pay the principal and interest. But this is very rare.  Consequently, it is wise to vote against bond measures, including numbers 1, 37 and 38.

Using bond propositions for the funding of medical research has proven to be ballot measure abuse. This occurred with Proposition 71 (2004) (see MOORLACH UPDATE — CIRM History and Debt Abuse — September 19, 2020). It only enriched the parties involved and left the taxpayers with $6 billion in principal and interest costs; while raising less than $200,000 in royalty income. I strongly urge a “no” vote on Proposition 38.

2. Be suspicious of fiscal shell games. Proposition 2 seems prudent, until you read the fine print. To thwart them in the future, vote “yes” on Propositions 41, 42 and 43.

3. Stop or oppose tax increases. Propositions 3 and 40 should be an easy “no.”

4. Allocating tax dollars for private enterprises is a style drift that governments should not make. Proposition 4 is also an easy “no.”

5. “As you may recall” was a phrase I used often on the Senate Floor. When Senator Josh Newman was recalled for raising the gas tax, the Democrats went apoplectic and have been messing with recall laws ever since. Vote “no” on Proposition 5.

6. Voter ID is universally supported. Protecting the sacred right to vote is an easy “yes” for Proposition 39.

7. Always oppose public employee union or other special interest meddling in private affairs. Proposition 44 needs to be opposed.

8. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has become a vehicle that is used to extort the state (Caltrans) and developers of needed housing and infrastructure. Any modification would be a good thing (see MOORLACH UPDATE — PRI Blog from October 20, 2022 — July 30, 2023). I tried to provide CEQA reforms while I served in the California State Senate (see MOORLACH UPDATE — Personal War Stories — April 19, 2023). Proposition 45 deserves a “yes” vote.

STATEWIDE PROPOSITIONS

PROPOSITION 1 – Bond – $11.25 Billion For Housing – No

PROPOSITION 2 – Doubles Budget Stabilization Account – No

PROPOSITION 3 – Extends Income Tax on High Income Earners To Fund Education – No

PROPOSITION 4 – Provides Candidates with Public Funds – No

PROPOSITION 5 – Eliminate Replacement Candidate on Same Ballot as Recall – No

PROPOSITION 37 – Bond—Creates Low-Cost Mortgages For Homebuyers – No

PROPOSITION 38 – Bond – CIRM All Over Again – No

PROPOSITION 39 – Voter ID Requirement – Yes

PROPOSITION 40 – Wealth Tax/Billionaire’s Tax – No

PROPOSITION 41 – Independent Audits Before Increasing Taxes – Yes

PROPOSITION 42 – Constitutional Protections Against Retroactive Taxation – Yes

PROPOSITION 43 – Raises Vote Threshold For Special Tax Measures – Yes

PROPOSITION 44 – Mandates More Spending On Patient Care At Clinics – No

PROPOSITION 45 – Modifies California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) – Yes