Vote 2018
2018 Ballot Measures: November 6 Absentee Ballot Decisions
There are seventeen (17) 2018 Ballot Measures on my Absentee Ballot. Eleven (11) are State Measures, one (1) is a County Measure and five (5) are Long Beach Measures. Some of the 2018 State ballot measures are getting a lot of attention. Propositions 8 (Outpatient Kidney Dialysis Clinics) and 10 (Rent Control) have received the most attention and money thrown at them. According to Ballotpedia.org, “The committees in support or opposition of Proposition 8 had raised a combined $129.88 million, making the ballot measure the most expensive of 2018.” Proposition 10 spending was not too far behind according to Ballotpedia.org, “The campaigns surrounding Proposition 10 had raised a combined $100.40 million. Opponents of Proposition 10 had out-raised the support campaign by about 3-to-1.” Further down the spending list on ballot measures is Proposition 6 which “eliminates Certain Road Repair and Transportation Funding.” The California Secretary of State’s data pegs combined contributions (support and opposition) to the fight over Proposition 6 at just over 50 million dollars. Study the ballot measure verbiage carefully. A Yes vote might actually mean No and a No vote might mean Yes.
2018 State Ballot Measures
“A “yes” vote supports this measure to authorize $4 billion in general obligation bonds for housing-related programs, loans, grants, and projects and housing loans for veterans.”
“A “no” vote opposes this measure to authorize $4 billion in general obligation bonds for housing-related programs, loans, grants, and projects and housing loans for veterans.”
Calmatters.org: Proposition 1, affordable housing bond, explained in less than 1 minute
Los Angeles Times 2018 Ballot Measures Recommendation
Proposition 2: Authorizes Bonds to Fund Existing Housing Program for Individuals with Mental Illness. Legislative Statute
“A yes vote supports authorizing the state to use revenue from Proposition 63 (2004)—a 1 percent tax on income above $1 million for mental health services—on $2 billion in revenue bonds for homelessness prevention housing for persons in need of mental health services.”
“A no vote opposes authorizing the state to use revenue from Proposition 63 (2004) on $2 billion in revenue bonds for homelessness prevention housing for persons in need of mental health services.”
Calmatters.org: Prop. 2 in under one minute
Los Angeles Times 2018 Ballot Measures Recommendation
“A “yes” vote supports this measure to authorize $8.877 billion in general obligation bonds for water infrastructure, groundwater supplies and storage, surface water storage and dam repairs, watershed and fisheries improvements, and habitat protection and restoration.”
“A “no” vote opposes this measure to authorize $8.877 billion in general obligation bonds for water infrastructure, groundwater supplies and storage, surface water storage and dam repairs, watershed and fisheries improvements, and habitat protection and restoration.”
Calmatters.org: California Proposition 3, an $8.9 Billion water bond, explained in 1 minute
Los Angeles Times 2018 Ballot Measures Recommendation
“A yes vote supports authorizing $1.5 billion in bonds for the construction, expansion, renovation, and equipping of children’s hospitals in California.”
“A no vote opposes authorizing $1.5 billion in bonds for the construction, expansion, renovation, and equipping of children’s hospitals in California.”
Calmatters.org: California Proposition 4, the children’s hospital bond, explained in less than 1 minute
Los Angeles Times 2018 Ballot Measures Recommendation
“A “yes” vote supports amending Proposition 13 (1978) to allow homebuyers who are age 55 or older or severely disabled to transfer their tax assessments, with a possible adjustment, from their prior home to their new home, no matter (a) the new home’s market value; (b) the new home’s location in the state; or (c) the buyer’s number of moves.”
“A “no” vote opposes amending Proposition 13 (1978) to change how tax assessments are transferred between properties for homebuyers who are age 55 or older or severely disabled.”
Calmatters.org: California Proposition 5, portable real estate tax break, explained in less than 1 minute
Los Angeles Times 2018 Ballot Measures Recommendation
“A yes vote supports this initiative to: repeal fuel tax increases and vehicle fees that were enacted in 2017, including the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (RRAA) and require voter approval (via ballot propositions) for the California State Legislature to impose, increase, or extend fuel taxes or vehicle fees in the future.”
“A no vote opposes this initiative, thus: keeping the fuel tax increases and vehicle fees that were enacted in 2017, including the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (RRAA), in place and allowing the state legislature to continue to impose, increase, or extend fuel taxes or vehicle fees through a two-thirds vote of each chamber and without voter approval.”
Calmatters.org: Prop. 6 in under one minute
Los Angeles Times 2018 Ballot Measures Recommendation
Proposition 7: Conforms California Daylight Saving Time to Federal Law. Allows Legislature to Change Daylight Saving Time Period. Legislative Statute.
“A yes vote supports allowing the California State Legislature to (1) change the dates and times of the daylight saving time (DST) period, as consistent with federal law, by a two-thirds vote and (2) establish permanent, year-round DST in California by a two-thirds vote if federal law is changed to allow for permanent DST.”
“A no vote opposes allowing the state legislature to (1) change the dates and times of the DST period, as consistent with federal law, by a two-thirds vote and (2) establish permanent, year-round DST in California by a two-thirds vote if federal law is changed to allow for permanent DST.”
Calmatters.org: California Proposition 7, daylight savings time forever, explained in less than 1 minute
Los Angeles Times 2018 Balot Measures Recommendation
Proposition 8: Regulates Amounts Outpatient Kidney Dialysis Clinics Charge for Dialysis Treatment. Initiative Statute
“A “yes” vote supports requiring dialysis clinics to issue refunds to patients or patients’ payers for revenue above 115 percent of the costs of direct patient care and healthcare improvements.”
“A “no” vote opposes requiring dialysis clinics to issue refunds to patients or patients’ payers for revenue above 115 percent of the costs of direct patient care and healthcare improvements.”
Calmatters.org: Proposition 8, dialysis clinic profit pruning, explained in less than 1 minute
Los Angeles Times 2018 Ballot Measures Recommendation
Proposition 9: On July 18, 2018, Proposition 9 was removed from the ballot by order of the California Supreme Court.
Proposition 10: Expands Local Governments’ Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property. Initiative Statute
“A yes vote supports allowing local governments to adopt rent control on any type of rental housing, thus repealing the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act.”
“A no vote opposes the initiative, thus keeping the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act and continuing to prohibit local governments from enacting rent control on certain buildings.”
Calmatters.org: California Proposition 10, the rent control initiative, explained in 1 minute
Los Angeles Times 2018 Ballot Measures Recommendation
“A yes vote supports: allowing ambulance providers to require workers to remain on-call during breaks paid at their regular rate; requiring employers to provide additional training for EMTs and paramedics; and requiring employers to provide EMTs and paramedics with some paid mental health services.”
“A no vote opposes: allowing ambulance providers to require workers to remain on-call during breaks paid at their regular rate; requiring employers to provide additional training for EMTs and paramedics; and requiring employers to provide EMTs and paramedics with some paid mental health services.”
Calmatters.org: California Proposition 11, paramedic break time, explained in less than 1 minute
Los Angeles Times 2018 Ballot Measures Recommendation
Proposition 12: Establishes New Standards for Confinement of Specified Farm Animals; Bans Sale of Noncomplying Products. Initiative Statute
“A yes vote supports this initiative to: establish minimum space requirements based on square feet for calves raised for veal, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens and ban the sale of (a) veal from calves, (b) pork from breeding pigs, and (c) eggs from hens when the animals are confined to areas below minimum square-feet requirements.”
“A no vote opposes this initiative, thus: keeping in place minimum space requirements based on animal movement—not square feet—for calves raised for veal, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens and continuing to ban the sale of shelled eggs from hens—but not liquid eggs from hens, veal from calves, or pork from breeding pigs—that are confined to areas not meeting space requirements based on animal movement standards.”
Calmatters.org: Prop. 12 in under one minute
Los Angeles Times 2018 Ballot Measures Recommendation
Photo by alphabunny_photos
Los Angeles County 2018 Ballot Measures
Los Angeles Region’s Public Health and Safe, Clean Water Program. Shall an ordinance improving/protecting water quality; capturing rain/stormwater to increase safe drinking water supplies and prepare for future drought; protecting public health and marine life by reducing pollution, trash, toxins/plastics entering Los Angeles County waterways/bays/beaches; establishing a parcel tax of 2.5¢ per square foot of impermeable area, exempting low-income seniors, raising approximately $300,000,000 annually until ended by voters, requiring independent audits, oversight and local control be adopted?
“A yes vote is a vote in favor of authorizing the county flood control district to enact a parcel tax—a kind of property tax based on units of property rather than assessed value—of $0.025 (2.5 cents) per square foot of land impermeable to water, such as buildings, driveways, and concrete.”
“A no vote is a vote against authorizing the county flood control district to enact a parcel tax of $0.025 (2.5 cents) per square foot of land impermeable to water.”
LA.Curbed.com: Measure W: LA’s parcel tax for stormwater recycling, explained
Los Angeles Times 2018 Ballot Measures Recommendation
Long Beach Press-Telegram Recommendation
City of Long Beach 2018 Ballot Measures
Visit LAVote.net for more information
AAA – Authority of Long Beach City Auditor to Conduct Performance Audits. Shall the City Charter be amended to authorize the City Auditor to conduct performance audits, defined as financial, compliance, efficiency, economy, operational, or program audits or studies, of any City department, board or commission?
From Ballotpedia.org: City Auditor Performance Audits
BBB – City of Long Beach Term Limits Amendment. Shall the City Charter be amended to limit the Mayor and City Councilmembers to serving three terms and to prohibit individuals who have already served three terms from being elected as write-in candidates?
CCC – City of Long Beach Ethics Commission. Shall the City Charter be amended to create an ethics commission of Long Beach residents for the purpose of monitoring, administering and implementing governmental ethics in the City of Long Beach?
From Ballotpedia.org: Ethics Commission
DDD – City of Long Beach Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. Shall the City Charter be amended to create an independent citizens commission of Long Beach residents to determine the boundaries of City Council districts every ten years after the national census?
Ballotpedia.org: Independent Redistricting Commission
WW – LONG BEACH HOTEL WORKER MEASURE. Shall an ordinance be adopted to require Long Beach hotels containing more than 50 rooms to provide personal emergency contact devices for hotel workers, adopt restrictions on the square footage of hotel areas which may be cleaned and establish penalties for failure to comply with the restrictions?
Ballotpedia.org: Emergency Contact Devices for Hotel Employees
2018 Ballot Measures Information Sources
Of course, you can sit in front of your television or in your car and listen to the radio or surf the net and watch and hear the countless number of pro-candidate and anti-candidate attack ads flooding our senses. This doesn’t even count the ads on the various measures. Or you can go to websites of the candidates and measures, research them, and make informed decisions (Yeah, right). Luckily, there’s help. A number of nonprofit and media sites provide digestible bits of information to assist you with your decision-making:
- From CalMatters.org 2018 Election Guide
There are the endorsements from Editorial Boards. Here are a few you can consult:
Another media information resource:
- KPCC Southern California Public Radio: The Voter Game Plan
