Hi, I'm Erin Wiley and every election I do a Voter Recommendation Guide for those of you who have been so busy, you haven't had time to look up the propositions. Well, no worries...I gotcha! I know as we all make our way in this post-Covid world, amidst extremist politics, and attack ads, it's enough to make you want to scream. Maybe even run away from it all. But more than that, I hope it makes you want to VOTE. I hope it makes you want to bring some balance, mutual respect, common sense, and kindness back into the conversation.
Goodness knows we are well overdue. So let's take this moment together to quiet down the noise. Let's go over these propositions one-by-one and leave partisanship aside. Let's cast our vote for what's best for the residents of California. And let's make our choices based on the facts, not the rhetoric of some cable news station whose profit margin depends on keeping you in a perpetual state of outrage. This is our country. This is our state. As the saying goes..."we got skin in the game". We ALL have a right and a responsibility to let our voices be heard. YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE. Let no one own it or diminish it, ever.
So a little bit about me, I am a moderate, I love our country and when looking at propositions I tow no party line. I find out what organization or entity introduced the proposition, I consider the cost, the equity to our citizenry, and both the short-term and long-term benefit. I hope these recommendations are helpful! Godspeed! And Congratulations on participating in one of our most sacred American liberties...CASTING YOUR VOTE.
This guide is a recommendation on CALIFORNIA STATE PROPOSITIONS
LOS ANGELES Measures / Judges and Mayoral Race.
PROP 1 : NO RECOMMENDATION.
Right To Reproductive Freedom
Who put it on the ballot?
California Medical Association. California Nurses Association. Planned Parenthood.
What is it?
In California, "the fundamental right to privacy" is what the courts have interpreted to guarantee that a woman has a right to make her own reproductive decisions. So, to be clear, Prop 1 is NOT about whether or not abortion is legal in the state of California. Abortion is legal in California as defined by the California Supreme Court under the right to privacy. In June of this year, the United States Supreme Court determined that the US Constitution does not protect the right to abortion, which means each state in the union can determine this law for itself. Prop 1 wants to put exact language in the California Constitution that articulates what the California Supreme Court has already decided. Women have a fundamental right to choose an abortion or to choose or refuse contraceptives. Prop 1 wants the words added to the California Constitution to codify this existing right.
PROP 26: NO RECOMMENDATION (I'm Voting YES)
Allows In Person Roulette, Dice Games & Sports Waging On Tribal Lands
Who put it on the ballot?
The American Indian Chamber of Commerce. Gaming organizations owned by Indigenous groups. American Indian Tribal Council Leaders.
What is it?
California currently allows a limited amount of gambling, like the state lottery, card games, betting on horse races, and of course, tribal casinos. California does not allow sports betting, roulette, or games with dice. Prop 26 wants to allow IN PERSON betting on sports games and roulette. Prop 26 will prohibit sports betting on high school and college games. So...long story short, Tribal Casinos want to increase their revenue with sports betting, and the state is happy to have it on the ballot because it stands to make tens of millions of dollars annually if it is passed. Yes, there may be increased law enforcement costs as a result of expanded gambling, but the state's revenue from sports betting will more than cover it, so there is no real burden to taxpayers.
PROP 27: VOTE NO
Allows Open Mobile Sports Wagering Throughout The State
Who put it on the ballot?
Out-of-state digital gaming entertainment companies, like FanDuel, BetMGM, and DraftKings.
What is it?
Proposition 27 is an insidious money grab by out-of-state corporations to line their pockets under the guise of helping the homeless/unhoused. I SAID WHAT I SAID.
Prop 27 proposes to allow a MASSIVE expansion of gambling via online betting. Anyone can place bets from their phone or computer without real-time accountability. What could go wrong with that? Prop 27 knows what could go wrong with that because it also proposes a bunch of funding and entities to address the problems that this law will create, like money for gambling addiction programs and a police regulatory unit to police ALL of the underage use this massive expansion of gambling will generate. Here's the thing, instead of creating a bunch of band-aids, how about not causing the injury to begin with? Californians understand our homeless/unhoused crisis is paramount and needs to be addressed. But WE HAVE ADDRESSED IT. Californians have spent over 30 billion in the last five years "addressing it". We now need accountability and an audit of the funds we have already secured through Prop HHH to address this issue. We do NOT need massive online gambling expansion that will thwart tribal gaming, hinder the self-reliance of tribal governments, broaden gambling addictions, and create an unneeded temptation for our youth.
SIDEBAR: The difference between Prop 26 and Prop 27:
Prop 26 is straightforward. It proposes highly regulated IN PERSON sports betting for adults 21 and over at Indian Tribal Casinos. Prop 27 employs bait & switch politics to enrich out-of-state corporations. It allows anyone to gamble without real-time oversight and, as a by-product, will create a massive increase in gambling addiction and opportunities for underage gambling.
PROP 28: VOTE YES
Provides Funding For Arts & Music Education In Public Schools
Who put it on the ballot?
California Teachers Association. California State PTA.
What is it?
Prop 28 will provide K-12 public school funding for arts and music education.
60% of public school students are from low-income families. It stands to reason that for most of these students, their only opportunity to take art and music classes may be within the public school system. The California general fund is currently at a surplus, and Prop 28 seeks to use 1% of those funds to make these classes available in public schools.
I'm GenX, so I grew up at a time when music and art classes were required electives. I can tell you this with certainty, these classes broaden your understanding of culture, beauty, and art. They foster creativity and self-confidence. They expand your view of the world and cultivate community, individual expression, and empathy. Every kid should experience what is gained through knowledge of the arts, even if they are not artistically inclined. The benefits far exceed the mere act of learning to paint or play an instrument. These classes enrich the soul. But back to the facts, this will NOT burden the state or taxpayers. Prop 28 also requires accountability on how funds are spent. So it is a win-win, which is why no group or entity opposes it.
PROP 29: VOTE YES
Requires On-Site Licensed Medical Professional At Kidney Dialysis Clinics
Who put it on the ballot?
SEIU United Healthcare Workers West.
What is it?
This proposition requires dialysis clinics to have at least one physician on-site, report patient infection data to the CDC, and require dialysis centers to get permission from the CDPH before closing or reducing services. It also requires transparency regarding who owns dialysis clinics.
Dialysis clinics are understaffed and overworked. Patients are at HIGH risk for infection, stroke, and cardiac arrest during treatment. Given that risk, is it too much to ask to have one physician on-site at all times? Especially when it could mean the difference between life and death. TWO companies run a monopoly on Dialysis Centers. The names of those companies are Davita and Fresenius. The changes that Prop 29 requires will increase each clinic's cost by several hundred thousand dollars annually. In June of 2022, Davita (a United States-owned company based in Denver) reported an annual profit of 3.5 billion dollars. Fresenius (an international company based in Germany) reported an annual profit of 10 billion dollars. Dialysis centers whose profit margin is in the BILLIONS can more than accommodate the added cost of having a physician on-site.
Here's the thing. I am a business owner, and I know that no one goes into business to lose money, dialysis companies included. But when a company spends 86 million to oppose a proposition, and the added cost of having a physician on-site is only 0.49 % - 1.4% of their profit, that's not about money. That's about GREED and FEAR.
These companies have dialysis patients between a rock and a hard place. Anytime oversight is mentioned, they threaten to close their doors instead of missing out on a profit margin that rivals free forced labor. Which understandably is terrifying for dialysis patients. If patients do not get weekly dialysis treatments, they will die. Most of us can't fathom what it's like to have your very life in the hands of whether or not a clinic will service you. And that is why overworked and understaffed healthcare workers' are leading the charge. So I hope you vote YES. Dialysis patients deserve more than survival, they deserve GOOD CARE.
PROP 30: VOTE NO
Increases Tax On Personal Income Over $2 Million To Offset Ride Share Car Mandate
Who put it on the ballot?
LYFT
What is it?
I have to give it to LYFT. In one proposition, they were able to do what the pandemic, climate change, and the final season of This Is Us, couldn't do. They made Democrats and Republicans UNITE IN AGREEMENT that proposition 30 is a crap proposition.
"A cynical scheme devised by a single corporation to funnel state income tax revenue to their company." - Newsome
And I couldn't agree more. But let's break this down....
California recently ruled that 90% of rideshare vehicles must be electric vehicles (ZEV- Zero Emission Vehicles) by 2030. Lyft (a billion-dollar company) lobbied hard against that. Fortunately, THEY LOST, but instead of adhering to the ruling, they have spent over 15 million dollars to put Prop 30 on the ballot. Prop 30 will increase income tax on California residents making up to 2 million to be used to purchase electric vehicles.
So basically, they don't want to spend their billion. They want folks living in one of the most expensive states in the country to bear the burden the ruling put on THEM. And lucky for us, Lyfts generosity doesn't stop there. After trying to manipulate California residents into paying what they have been directed to pay, they propose to use 1/5 of OUR money for wildfire prevention programs. How kind. BUT...here's the thing, the state general fund (OUR money) is at a SURPLUS. It is at a 97.5 billion dollar surplus. So we can afford wildfire prevention EASILY without small business owners and residents footing the bill for Lyft.
"Lyft wants voters to believe Prop 30 is about clean air and wildfires instead of what it actually is: Prop 30 is a flawed and corporate carve-out scheme to further line the pockets of Silicon Valley tech billionaires." -Republican political strategist
When Democrats, Republicans, The LA Times, the California Chamber of Commerce, and 18 other Newspapers across the state come together to call SHENANIGANS on Lyft!
It's a magical moment. VOTE NO.
PROP 31: VOTE NO
Prevent Retail Sale Of Certain Flavored Tobacco Products
Who put it on the ballot?
Phillip Morris, Big Tobacco
What is it?
In 2020 the state of California passed a law (SB 793) banning the sale of certain flavored tobacco products like vanilla, cinnamon, spearmint, grape, and menthol cigarettes. As a result, big tobacco companies like Phillip Morris got a referendum and spent 21 million dollars to put this on your November 2022 ballot, in hope that you will see this as a case of prohibition and vote NO. Meanwhile, the other side has told you that this issue is about saving kids from being tempted by lollipop-flavored nicotine and a predatory tobacco industry seeking to exploit the Black community, to scare you into voting YES.
So...what's the REAL?
Glad you asked, I took a deep dive to uncover the FACTS, and this is what I found.
Are these products luring kids into nicotine use? NO.
The latest studies show that California has the lowest youth nicotine use in the country. The California high school cigarette use is 1.2%, well below the national high school cigarette rate of 5.8%. E-cigarette use is in single digits, less than half of the national high school rate, and falling. And in each group, African American kids have the LOWEST numbers of nicotine use. The CDC also conducted a study showing that although flavored nicotine is an important factor in ADULTS deciding whether or not to switch from carcinogenic cigarettes to vaping, it had VERY LITTLE effect on whether or not young people decided to try cigarettes or vaping. Most of them stated, "curiosity" as the reason.
If we ban flavored nicotine will that reduce the number of smokers? Nope!
Nicotine has been proven to be as addictive as cocaine and heroin and may even be more addictive. So...when the state of Massachusetts tried this SAME THING. Guess what happened? Adults began purchasing nicotine from neighboring states, and Massachusetts lost over 100 million dollars in revenue.
Does Big Tobacco have a predatory relationship with only the Black Community? Kinda.
The CDC reports the percentage of adult nicotine use at 27% American Indian, 14% African American, 13% White, 8% Asian, and 8% Hispanic. While African American adults make up the second largest group of smokers, the American Indian population far exceeds that, and the white population is only 1% behind. Why isn't that ever a part of the narrative?
Are African American communities disproportionately targeted by Big Tobacco? YES.
Low-income neighborhoods have more tobacco retailers per capita. Tobacco retailer density (e.g...liquor stores) provides the perfect opportunity for Big Tobacco to advertise to our community via radio, print ads, etc while availing them to multiple distribution sites. And they know how to advertise. Unlike negative images that are found in the media, cigarette ads portray images of African Americans who are happy, confident, successful, wealthy, in love, attractive, strong, and independent.
They have also strategically endeared themselves to our community. Since the 1950s, Phillip Morris and Brown & Williamson have been engaged with the National Urban League, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the United Negro College Fund, and have provided funding and organizational support to a laundry list of African American organizations. And because of this, African American adults have both excelled and suffered the greatest burden of tobacco-related mortality of any ethnic or racial group in the United States.
So why not criminalize flavored nicotine and menthol cigarettes? BECAUSE...
African American adults make up the largest number of menthol cigarette users in the country. If we make menthol cigarettes illegal, adults will get them on the black market. Which means the police will get involved. Do you see where I'm going here? Being Black in America is already an adventure, do we really need to add more instances of Black folks interacting with the police?
Are flavored e-cigarettes having a more detrimental effect on smokers? NO.
The BMJ (British Medical Journal) estimates that if every adult smoker completely switched over to e-cigarettes over a 10-year period there would be “6.6 million fewer premature deaths” from smoking with a total of “86.7 million fewer life years lost.”
The American Medical Association finds: “Compared with cigarette-only smokers, e-cigarette–only users were found to have significantly lower concentrations of all major nicotine metabolites … [polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon] biomarkers … [and volatile organic compounds]”—basically the stuff that kills smokers.
The BMJ, formerly the British Medical Journal, concluded that if flavors were removed from the e-cigarette market, barring no changes to cigarette availability, there would be about an 11.1 percent decrease in vaping, but an 8.3 percent increase in smoking among adults. This is because e-cigarettes happen to be twice as effective at helping adults quit cigarettes as the current FDA-approved smoking cessation products, according to a randomized controlled trial published by The New England Journal of Medicine.
Final thoughts.....
I want to be very clear. I HATE TOBACCO. I do not use nicotine and I NEVER will.
My grandmother was the matriarch of our family. She was a beautiful woman of God, the lifeblood of our family. And on any Sunday morning, you could find her in the church choir singing like an angel. My grandma was also a smoker. Menthols. And I believe that although she gave up smoking in her later years, nicotine played a part in a series of health consequences that led to her passing. If this law could give people one more day, week, month, or year with their family/loved ones who smoke, I would vote YES.
But this law won't do that. Remember when they criminalized crack and gave cocaine users a slap on the wrist? Tell me...why is it that menthol cigarettes, the primary choice of adult African American nicotine users, are the product up for criminalization? No one is saying that nicotine is good. IT IS NOT. But why menthol? Nicotine is as addictive as cocaine and heroin in unflavored products too, so why not criminalize what white folks, Asian folks and other nicotine users prefer? Things that make you go....Hmmmm.
Why am I voting NO?
Men lie. Women lie. Numbers don't and Facts are facts.
The fact is, kids aren't lured into using nicotine products because of varied lollipop flavors.
The fact is, removing access will make adults get it elsewhere. Including the black market.
The fact is, making menthol cigarettes illegal will disproportionately affect African American adults who already have enough challenges when it comes to the criminal justice system.
The fact is, flavored e-cigarettes (although NOT healthy), were found to have significantly lower concentrations of all major nicotine metabolites.
LOS ANGELES MEASURES
Measure A- Vote YES
Measure C- Vote NO
Measure H- Vote YES (This measures heart is in the right place. But the measure is badly written, and the courts will probably void most of the provisions. That said, be on the right side of history. Vote YES because this is the direction California needs to go in and hopefully the next measure will be written better).
Measure L - Vote YES
Prop LH - Vote YES
Prop SP - Vote NO
Prop ULA - Vote YES
COUNTY SHERIFF
Robert Luna
SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE ENDORSEMENTS
Office No. 60: Abby Baron
Office No. 67: Fernanda Maria Barreto
Office No. 70: Holly Hancock
Office No. 90: Melissa Lyons
Office No.118: Melissa Hammond
Office No.151: Patrick Hare
CHIEF JUSTICE
YES- Patricia Guerrero
ASSOCIATE JUSTICE
YES- Goodwin Liu
YES- Martin Jenkins
YES- Joshua Groban
YES- Frances Rothschild
STATE SENATOR
Caroline Menjivar
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Tony Thurmond
STATE JUDICIAL
YES- Laurence Rubin
YES- Maria Stratton
YES- Judith Ashmann
YES- Luis Lavin
YES- Audrey Collins
YES- Brian Currey
YES- Lamar Baker
YES- Hernaldo Baltodano
YES- John Segal
YES- John Wiley
NO- Elizabeth Grimes
LA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT MEMBER
Seat 2: Steven Veres
Seat 4: Sara Hernandez
Seat 6: Gabriel Buelna
Seat 7: Kelsey Iino
LOS ANGELES MAYOR RACE
I am endorsing KAREN BASS.
I looked extensively into the records/promises/beliefs of Karen Bass and Rick Caruso and some of the top 3 issues facing Angelenos (homeless/unhoused crisis, public safety, and climate change). Though their end goals were similar, their methodology and emphasis on what is needed to make change ultimately led me to support KAREN BASS.
Some examples are below:
HOMELESS/UNHOUSED CRISIS
Karen Bass:
House 15k by the end of the year. Wants to work w/the local govt. to create more communication & a comprehensive plan. Will create a Homelessness Chief that answers directly to her. Accountability on Prop HHH. Work w/ Federal Govt. for housing vouchers. Inventory land to build new housing. Convert existing properties to housing for the unhoused. Short-line development for affordable housing. Utilize people who were formerly unhoused to create teams of outreach workers to reach the unhoused.
Rick Caruso:
Wants to declare a state of emergency to bypass local govt. and access federal funds to build interim housing for the homeless. House 30k homeless in 300 days. Use modular container housing to provide housing for the homeless. Bypass the County office and Create a public health department that deals primarily with substance abuse and mental health. Deploy 500 sanitation workers to clean the streets. Wave fees on affordable housing. Audit and accountability on Prop HHH.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Karen Bass:
Hire more law enforcement. Recruit with a design on diversity and reform. Karen Bass helped create the George Floyd Act. Educate on red flag laws to curtail gun violence. Employ citizens to assist officers with paperwork so they are free to serve the community.
Rick Caruso:
Hire more law enforcement. Focus on mental health problems in policing and incarceration.
CLIMATE CHANGE:
Karen Bass:
Supports 100% clean power by 2035. Supports ZEV (Zero emission vehicles). Expand walking, routes, biking routes, and transit services. Help transition DWP to electric. Clean up airport emissions. Appoint an Environmental health board. Train for green jobs. Prohibit new oil drilling. Address the scientific fact that dark surfaces attract heat by investing in cool roofs, cool walls, cool playgrounds, cool roads, and cool parking lots. Educate and engage the community on solutions.
Rick Caruso:
Supports new infrastructure. Expanding EV chargers. Converting to LED lighting. Educate and employ the benefit of water reclamation and reuse. Develop transit systems. Develop state-of-the-art recycling facility.
FINAL WORDS....
Karen Bass wants to empower communities by developing more communication with civic agencies, greater accountability to voters, and trimming the fat on programs that aren't working for Los Angeles residents. Karen Bass believes in employing people within the community they are servicing to address specific needs. And that is the essence of smart governance.
Rick Caruso, wants to bypass civic agencies and create his own government to fix problems. That doesn't work in a city of 4 million people. Bureaucracy can be frustrating and hard to deal with, especially when much of it has proven ineffective. But you have to learn to work with people and groups you govern, PERIOD. There are no lone ranger success stories in governing. It takes a village. And in one of the most cynical and insulting moves I have seen in recent political history, Rick Caruso has changed his party allegiance in the ninth hour. Why? In the hope of what? To pull one over on Angelenos? Are his platforms, beliefs and plans not enough? #BoyBye