We previously published Alfred Twu’s beautifully illustrated guide to the California propositions, but I (Marga Lacabe) personally voted differently in a few. So here are my personal recommendations:
Prop 1: YES
It authorizes $4 billion in affordable housing bonds. We have a housing affordability crisis in California and this is a logical way to address it.
Prop 2: NO
It authorizes $2 billions in bonds, to be paid back by an existing tax on millionaires, to fund supportive housing for people with mental health issues. The Green Party believes this is a giveaway to building interests and that there are more economical ways to provide this housing. I’m unsure enough to vote against it.
Prop 3: NO
We just passed a water bond in June, but agriculture and dam interests are hoping we’ve forgotten. This one would authorize almost $9 billion in bonds to pay for specific projects supported by the interests behind this bond. The Sierra Club opposes it.
Prop 4: YES
It authorizes $1.5 billion bond for children’s hospitals expansions and retrofits.
Prop 5: NO
It provides property tax breaks for the rich. Bad idea.
Prop 6: NO
It repeals the gas tax. While I’m usually opposed to regressive taxes, the gas tax is used to fund transportation projects. Moreover, from an environmental/climate change point of view, we need higher gas taxes to discourage needless driving and gas-chugging vehicles.
Prop 7: NO
This proposition would have California adopt year-round daylight savings time. I wouldn’t oppose it if the whole country moved to it – but I don’t like the idea of being in a different time zone than the rest of the West Coast for half the year.
Prop 8: NO
This proposition essentially limits the profits commercial dialysis companies make to 15% over costs. The danger here is that this will lead companies to inflate costs in ways that would not benefit patients and to close clinics in areas where most of the residents are in public assistance. Dr. Ron Birbaum offers a solid analysis of the measure.
Prop 10: YES
It eliminates the state-wide prohibition on municipalities passing rent stabilization ordinances.
Prop 11: NO
It allows companies that employ paramedics to not pay them for breaks when they are on call.
Prop 12: YES
This measure sets minimum amounts of room for chickens, pigs and some cows. The problem is that the space allotted is still too low, but it’s higher than current regulations so it’s a step in the right direction.
The analysis by Ron Birnbaum on Proposition 8 is definitely thought provoking, and I definitely agree with Birnbaum that the for-profit dialysis companies will find loop-holes within the law (if it is passed) to maintain/increase their profit. And this boils down to the question on whether health care should be a for-profit business. Such a vial service as health care should not be used to make profit, and people need to understand this fundamental problem so that we can move to a not-for-profit single payer system. How much longer will this take?