JANUARY 2019 ISSUES ENDORSED BY PPDC
DIABLO CANYON -- TEST IT NOW
We have only days for the state to conduct independent safety testing of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Unit I, located about 170 miles outside of L.A., while it is shut down for refueling. Please, sign the petition to the Governor.
A Fukushima-like meltdown would cause a mass migration out of California, and because coastal winds always blow inland, Diablo's radioactive clouds would irradiate and poison the fruits and vegetables that flourish in our fantastic Central Growing Valley. Diablo's radioactive clouds would also contaminate the drinking water that flows from the Sierra Mountains, through the Central Valley and into cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles.
If there is a meltdown at Diablo, much of California and its economy would be destroyed.
Click here to read the letter PPDC is sending and you can send to elected officials.
Click here to sign the petition
RESTART L.A. GAS PLANTS? NO WAY
California is aiming for 100% clean energy. But Los Angeles might invest billions in fossil fuels -- Los Angeles Times
From Mike Bonin: "I am 100% with environmental activists on this. It’s certainly not an issue without complexity, but I simply cannot support reinvesting more money in fossil fuels. We’re killing our planet. I’d encourage you to endorse the letter" (that PPDC has indeed endorsed). Learn more about the issue here:
https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-100-clean-energy-gas-plants-20181220-story.html
WE NEED A BETTER WAY TO FIGHT FIRES
The Palisades Dem Club is supporting the idea, proposed by our friends at the Malibu Dem Club, of a California Fire Reserve Corps. Read about it here.
PPDC has also endorsed Physicians for a National Healthcare Plan's call to action regarding a new Medicare-for-All bill Rep. Pramila Jayapal plans to introduce in the House. Read about it here and let's all follow their advice and make some calls!
Tuesday, November 6, 2018 RESULTS
State election results are here:
L.A. County results here:
https://lavote.net/home/voting-elections/current-elections/election-results
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Spoiler alert -- thanks to you and people like us across the country, Democrats did phenomenally well. Some pundits initially fretted that there wasn't a big Blue Wave, but there was.
From Salon (full article here)
The 2018 midterms were a blue wave — despite what Fox News hosts blared on Wednesday morning, mimicking the line White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders offered late on election day.
But that wave doesn’t mean the anti-democratic features of America’s electoral process didn’t kick in, to say nothing of a catalog of intentional partisan obstructions to voting in a handful of states—led by Georgia, where it may take days for all the paper mail-in and provisional ballots to be validated and counted. When those totals are added in, there may be a run-off gubernatorial election in early December.
The first affirmation of the wave was the volume of voters. As millions of votes are still being counted (in states like California), the votes cast so far total approximately 100 million, with experts estimating that figure will reach 111 million — a 47.3 percent national turnout. That is the first 100-million voter midterm, and the highest turnout since 1970, according to the University of Florida’s Michael McDonald.
*11/13 update: tally is now 5 million more votes for (D) House candidates, 14 million more for Senate
THE FOLLOWING IS INFO ABOUT PAST ELECTIONS FOR HISTORICAL REFERENCE
NOVEMBER 6, 2018 GENERAL
Oct. 22, 2018: Deadline for updating voter registration
Oct. 30, 2018: Deadline for requesting Vote-by-Mail ballot
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Your polling place was open from 7 AM to 8 PM
General information: https://votersedge.org
http://www.lavote.net/home/voting-elections/current-elections/find-my-election-information
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/
Fantastic new app called Vote with Me for getting your friends/contacts to vote:
Truly worth checking out! From their site:
We know, asking your friends to do things is awkward. That’s why it is so much more powerful than talking to strangers.
We’ve done the science and found that messages from friends are about twenty times more effective at encouraging voter turnout than other common methods.
You may have seen similar apps before, but you haven’t seen this one. We don’t force you to register with us or with any other group. We don’t put you on an email list, because we don’t have one. The app contains no ads, and we never ask you to donate money.
Get VoteWithMe here or learn more
Endorsement update for the General Election as of September 2018
Detailed proposition explanations follow our at-a-glance recommendations
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** CLICK HERE FOR A ONE-PAGER TO PRINT AND TAKE TO THE POLLS **
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Questions of the week:
-- Wondering where Sheila Kuehl is on your ballot?
Don't worry, she's not there, but it's because she did well enough in the primary to retain her seat!
-- And what about the judges not listed in our endorsements?
Per CA Dems, OK to say yes to all of them!
Props at a glance:
Proposition 1 – SUPPORT
Authorizes Bonds to Fund Specified Housing Assistance Programs. Legislative Statute.
Allows the state to sell $4 billion in general obligation bonds to fund veterans and affordable housing.
Proposition 2 – SUPPORT
Authorizes Bonds to Fund Existing Housing Program for Individuals with Mental Illness. Legislative Statute.
The state could use existing county mental health funds to pay for housing for those with mental illness who are homeless.
Proposition 3 – OPPOSE
Authorizes Bonds to Fund Projects for Water Supply and Quality, Watershed, Fish, Wildlife, Water Conveyance, and Groundwater Sustainability and Storage. Initiative Statute.
The state should not sell $8.9 billion in general obligation bonds to fund various water and environmental projects. This bond does not address fundamental water infrastructure problems in the state such as decaying aqueducts and dike infrastructure in the San Joaquin Delta.
Proposition 4 – SUPPORT
Authorizes Bonds Funding Construction at Hospitals Providing Children’s Health Care. Initiative Statute.
The state could sell $1.5 billion in general obligation bonds for the construction, expansion, renovation, and equipping of certain hospitals that treat children.
Proposition 5 – OPPOSE
Changes Requirements for Certain Property Owners to Transfer their Property Tax Base to Replacement Property. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
This is essentially a tax break for seniors and a stimulus for the residential real estate market but it comes with a future cost of likely cuts to education spending and doesn’t do much to address the overall shortage of housing in CA. It does not address the fundamental problems of Prop 13.
Proposition 6 – OPPOSE
Eliminates Certain Road Repair and Transportation Funding. Requires Certain Fuel Taxes and Vehicle Fees be Approved by The Electorate. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
This proposition would eliminate funding for more than 6,500 local transportation improvement projects underway in every community in California. Fuel and vehicle taxes recently passed by the Legislature should continue to be in effect and pay for highway and road maintenance and repairs, as well as transit programs.
Proposition 7 – OPPOSE
Conforms California Daylight Saving Time to Federal Law. Allows Legislature to Change Daylight Saving Time Period. Legislative Statute.
California should not change to daylight saving time year round for a variety of reasons, including being out of sync with other West Coast states, having to compensate for varying time difference with New York (3 hours in summer, 2 in winter), more accidents, etc.
Proposition 8 – SUPPORT
Regulates Amounts Outpatient Kidney Dialysis Clinics Charge for Dialysis Treatment. Initiative Statute.
California kidney dialysis companies are charging $150,000 for a year of treatment, a 350% markup from cost of care. They should have their revenues limited by a formula and be required to pay rebates to certain private health insurance companies that pay for dialysis treatment.
Proposition 10 – SUPPORT
Expands Local Governments’ Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property. Initiative Statute.
Many Californians are in dire need of housing reform, and local governments are best situated to respond with the most effective measures. Repealing Costa-Hawkins to go will enable local officials to protect residents from mass displacement, and protect communities.
Proposition 11 – OPPOSE
Requires Private-Sector Emergency Ambulance Employees to Remain On-Call During Work Breaks. Eliminates Certain Employer Liability. Initiative Statute.
Private ambulance companies would be subject to labor laws for this industry. Based on a recent court decision, these laws likely would require ambulance companies to provide EMTs and paramedics with off-duty meal and rest breaks that cannot be interrupted by a 911 call.
Proposition 12 – SUPPORT
New requirements on farmers to provide more space for egg-laying hens, breeding pigs, and calves raised for veal.
L.A. County Property Tax to Clean Storm Water, Measure W – SUPPORT
More than 100 billion gallons of storm water is lost to the ocean from L.A. County every year, and the Safe, Clean Water Program could capture up to 42 billion of those gallons. The measure would allow the county to levy a tax of 2.5 cents per square foot of "impermeable space' on private property and cost an average tax on a single family house of $83 per year. The revenue from the tax is estimated to be $300 million annually would fund the construction, operation and maintenance of projects that collect, clean, and conserve storm water.
L.A. City Measure Public Bank, Charter Amendment B – SUPPORT
AMENDMENT B is the first step towards exploring the creation of a socially, economically, and environmentally responsible city-owned bank. The measure is cost-free and risk-free. If voters approved such a charter amendment, it would remove one of a handful of hurdles standing in the way of a city-owned bank, and instead of paying $100M a year in banking fees and interest, funds could be reinvested into our communities, reduce the cost of infrastructure projects, instead of siphoned out by Wall Street.
L.A. City Measure, Realign City, State Election Dates, Charter Amendment E – SUPPORT
We support amending the City Charter to realign city elections with CA’s primary election in even years to boost voter participation.
L.A. School Measure, Realign LAUSD, State Election Dates, Charter Amendmt. EE – SUPPORT
We support amending the City Charter to realign LAUSD BOE elections in even years to boost voter participation.
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Detailed explanations of the propositions:
Proposition 1
Authorizes bonds to fund specified housing assistance programs. Legislative Statute
A YES vote means: Allows the state to sell $4 billion in general obligation bonds to fund veterans and affordable housing.
A NO vote means: The state could not sell $4 billion in general obligation bonds to fund veterans and affordable housing.
Recommendation -- SUPPORT
Proposition 2
Authorizes bonds to fund existing housing program for individuals with mental illness. Legislative Statute
A YES vote means: The state could use existing county mental health funds to pay for housing for those with mental illness who are homeless.
A NO vote means: The state’s ability to use existing county mental health funds to pay for housing for those with mental illness who are homeless would depend on future court decisions.
Recommendation -- SUPPORT
Proposition 3
A YES vote means: The state could sell $8.9 billion in general obligation bonds to fund various
water and environmental projects.
A NO vote means: The state could not sell $8.9 billion in general obligation bonds to fund
various water and environmental projects.
One must consider:
(1) are the underlying projects needed
(2) will the projects accomplish their stated goals, and
(3) will the projects be properly managed.
Our water infrastructure is aging and in need of repair in many parts of the state. However, this bond offering places money into a number of special projects pots outside the
management of the legislature, and it doesn’t fully tackle some of the more fundamental water infrastructure problems in the state, such as decaying aqueduct and dyke infrastructure in the San Joaquin delta.
Recommendation -- OPPOSE
Proposition 4
A YES vote means: The state could sell $1.5 billion in general obligation bonds for the construction, expansion, renovation, and equipping of certain hospitals that treat children.
A NO vote means: The state could not sell the $1.5 billion in general obligation bonds proposed for these purposes.
Recommendation -- SUPPORT
Proposition 5
A YES vote means: All homeowners who are over 55 (or who meet other qualifications) would be eligible for property tax savings when they move to a different home.
A NO vote means: Certain homeowners who are over 55 (or who meet other qualifications) would continue to be eligible for property tax savings when they move to a different home.
This is essentially a tax break for seniors and a stimulus for the residential real estate market but it comes with a future cost of likely cuts to education spending. One argument in favor of it is that it would free up larger properties for families to buy by enabling empty-nesters to more easily sell and downsize. While this latter point is commendable on its face, the proposition doesn’t do much to address the overall shortage of housing in CA, and
it would further constrain the infrastructure spending needed to support increased housing. In short, this proposition is a well-marketed Band‐Aid on Prop 13, when what is needed is a wholesale repeal or overhaul of Prop 13.
When senior citizens retire and want to downsize, this would make it hard.
But the measure could be helpful as a part of much needed Prop 13 reform.
CA is in the bottom 10% for spending for education. Prop 5 is supported by the realtors.
Recommendation -- OPPOSE
Proposition 6
This is the repeal of the gas tax.
The funds from the gas tax are used only for road repair.
A YES vote means: Fuel and vehicle taxes recently passed by the legislature would be eliminated, which would reduce funding for highway and road maintenance and repairs, as well as transit programs. The legislature would be required to get a majority of voters to approve new or increased state fuel and vehicle taxes in the future.
A NO vote means: Fuel and vehicle taxes recently passed by the legislature would continue to be in effect and pay for highway and road maintenance and repairs, as well as transit programs. The legislature would continue not to need voter approval for new or increased state fuel and vehicle taxes in the future.
Recommendation -- OPPOSE
Proposition 7
This would institute permanent Daylight Savings Time
A YES vote means: The legislature, with a two-thirds vote, could change daylight saving time if the change is allowed by the federal government. Absent any legislative change, California would maintain its current daylight saving time period (early March to early November).
A NO vote means: California would maintain its current Daylight Savings Time period.
It is unlikely that all of this will ever happen, at least with a Republican Congress and President.
This is a major debate in the European Union.
Recommendation -- OPPOSE
Proposition 8
A YES vote means: Kidney dialysis clinics would have their revenues limited by a formula and could be required to pay rebates to certain parties (primarily health insurance companies) that pay for dialysis treatment.
A NO vote means: Kidney dialysis clinics would not have their revenues limited by a formula and would not be required to pay rebate
Arguments for: Dialysis patient care is in crisis and drives up costs for all Californians. CA dialysis companies are charging $150,000 for a year of treatment, a 350% markup from cost of care. Average profit margin is 17%, five times that of an average hospital in CA. Care in low income communities is substandard and dangerous.
Recommendation -- SUPPORT
Proposition 9
NOTE: No Prop 9 will appear on the ballot (proposal to split CA into 3 states).
Proposition 10
This is a repeal of Costa-Hawkins 1995 Act
A YES vote means: State law would not limit the kinds of rent-control laws cities and counties could have.
A NO vote means: State law would continue to limit the kinds of rent-control laws cities and counties could have.
Housing is clearly a major issue for California with four measures on the ballot related to housing, the most ever in one year. Many Californians are in dire need of housing reform, and local governments are best situated to respond with the most effective measures. It’s time for Costa-Hawkins to go, so that local officials can protect residents from mass displacement, and maintain this crucial element of civic structure & the local economy as they see fit.
Recommendation -- SUPPORT
Proposition 11
Requires private-sector emergency ambulance employees to remain on-call during work breaks and eliminates certain employer liability. Initiative statute
A YES vote means: Private ambulance companies could continue their current practice of having emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics stay on-duty during their meal and rest breaks in order to respond to 911 calls. Private ambulance companies would attempt to reschedule meal and rest breaks that are interrupted by a 911 call.
A NO vote means: Private ambulance companies would be subject to labor laws for this industry. Based on a recent court decision, these laws likely would require ambulance companies to provide EMTs and paramedics with off-duty meal and rest breaks that cannot be interrupted by a 911 call. If it passes, it will likely be challenged.
Recommendation -- OPPOSE
Proposition 12
A YES vote means: There would be new minimum requirements on farmers to provide more space for egg-laying hens, breeding pigs, and calves raised for veal. California businesses would be banned from selling eggs or uncooked pork or veal that came from animals housed in ways that did not meet these requirements.
A NO vote means: Current minimum space requirements for confining egg-laying hens, pregnant pigs, and calves raised for veal would continue to apply. Current ban on businesses in California selling eggs not meeting these space requirements for hens would remain in effect.
Recommendation -- SUPPORT
Measure W: L.A. County Property Tax to Clean Storm Water
In July, 2018, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to place a property tax before the voters in November 2018 to raise money for projects to capture and clean storm water. The measure would allow the county to levy a tax of 2.5 cents per square foot of & impermeable space and on private property (an average tax on a single family house of $83 per year). Government buildings, public schools and nonprofit organizations would be exempt. The revenue from the tax is estimated to amount to $300 million annually, and would fund the construction, operation and maintenance of projects that collect, clean, and conserve stormwater. Supervisor Sheila Kuehl led the effort, which passed 4-1 with Supervisor Kathryn Barger opposed.
More than 100 billion gallons of storm water is lost to the ocean from LA County every year, and the Safe, Clean Water Program could capture up to 42 billion of those gallons. Under the federal Clean Water Act and related state permits, cities must clean up the water they discharge into local waterways or face costly fines
and lawsuits. Compliance is estimated to cost LA County $20 billion over 20 years.
Recommendation -- SUPPORT
L.A. City Measure Public Bank, Charter Amendment B
Amendment B is the first step toward exploring the creation of a socially, economically, and environmentally responsible city-owned bank. The measure is cost-free and risk-free. It simply removes one barrier to establishing a bank. A sound business plan would follow, to be approved by voters and officials. If voters approved such a charter amendment, it would remove one of a handful of hurdles standing in the way of a city-owned bank, something city officials have been studying for nearly a year since Council President Herb Wesson raised the idea ahead of the Jan. 1 legalization of recreational marijuana sales. He said a public
bank not owned by shareholders could provide services to scores of local cannabis businesses, which are shunned by most banks because of federal drug laws and are often forced to deal entirely in cash. It also could offer loans to other small businesses and help finance affordable housing. The city of Los Angeles pays $100M a year in banking fees and interest. This could be reinvested into our communities instead of siphoned out by Wall Street. By depositing our public tax dollars into our a publicly owned and accountable financial institution, Angelenos would keep our money in Our City, creating credit from our own revenue, instead of giving that power to Wall Street to finance wars, pipelines, private prisons, among other socially and environmentally harmful projects. Nearly 50% of the cost of all infrastructure projects go towards paying bank interest and fees -– if we fund public projects ourselves through a public bank, our we can half the cost of infrastructure, doubling our power to invest in our own communities.
Recommendation -- SUPPORT
L.A. City Measure, Realign City, State Election Dates, Charter Amendment E – SUPPORT
We support amending the City Charter to realign city elections with CA’s primary election in even years to boost voter participation.
L.A. School Measure, Realign LAUSD, State Election Dates, Charter Amendmt. EE – SUPPORT
We support amending the City Charter to realign LAUSD BOE elections in even years to boost voter participation.
PaliDems November 2018 Elections
Political Contributions
US Senate
Arizona—Krysten Sinema • Florida—Bill Nelson • Nevada—Jacky Rosen • Minnesota—Tina Smith • Missouri—Claire McCaskill
Montana—Jon Tester • Tennessee—Phil Bredesen • Texas—Beto O’Rourke • Wisconsin—Tammy Baldwin
US Congress (California)
JOSH HARDER—CA 10
TJ COX—CA 21
ANDREW JANZ—CA 22
KATIE HILL—CA 25
JULIA PEACOCK—CA 42
KATIE PORTER—CA 45
HARLEY ROUDA—CA 48
MIKE LEVIN—CA 49
AMMAR CAMPA-NAJJAR—CA 50
US Congress (national)
Minnesota—Dean Phillips
Nebraska—Kara Eastman
Washington—Kim Schrier
Governor
Florida—ANDREW GILLUM
Kansas—LAURA KELLY
Maine—JANET MILLS
Michigan—GRETCHEN WHITMER
Nevada—STEVE SISOLAK
Ohio—RICHARD CORDRAY
Oregon—KATE BROWN
June 5, 2018 PRIMARIES
May 21, 2018: Last day to register to vote in this election
May 29, 2018: Last day to request a Vote-by-Mail ballot
Your polling place is open from 7 AM to 8 PM
General information: https://votersedge.org
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/statewide-direct-primary-june-5-2018/
http://www.lavote.net/home/voting-elections/current-elections/find-my-election-information
ENDORSED BY PPDC
US Senate
NO CONSENSUS
US Congress, 33rd District
TED LIEU (incumbent)
Governor
GAVIN NEWSOM
Lt. Governor
ED HERNANDEZ
Secretary of State
ALEX PADILLA (incumbent)
Attorney General
DAVE JONES
State Treasurer
FIONA MA
State Controller
BETTY YEE (incumbent)
Insurance Commissioner
RICARDO LARA
Board of Equalization District 3
CHERYL TURNER
Superintendent of Public Instruction
TONY THURMOND
State Senate, 26th District
BEN ALLEN (incumbent)
State Assembly, 50th District
RICHARD BLOOM (incumbent)
L.A. County Assessor
JEFFREY PRANG (incumbent)
L.A. County Supervisor, District 3
SHEILA KUEHL (incumbent)
Los Angeles County Sheriff
NO ENDORSEMENT
L.A. COUNTY, JUDGE OF SUPERIOR COURT
(L.A. County Dem Party recommendations)
Office No. 4 ………………………………. Veronica Sauceda
Office No. 16 ………………………………. Patricia (Patti) Hunter
Office No. 20 ………………………………. Wendy Segall
Office No. 60 ………………………………. Tony Cho
Office No. 63 ………………………………. no consensus
Office No. 67 ………………………………. Hon. Maria Lucy Armendariz
Office No. 71 ………………………………. no endorsement
Office No.113 ………………………………. Javier Perez
Office No.118 ………………………………. David D. Diamond
Office No.126 ………………………………. Rene Caldwell Gilbertson
Office No.146 ………………………………. Hon. Armando Duron
BALLOT MEASURES
68-69 endorsed
70 opposed
71-72 endorsed
YES on Proposition 68 — Bonds for Environment, Parks and Water
Authorizes $4 billion in general obligation bonds for: parks, natural resources protection, climate adaptation, water quality and supply, and flood protection. Fiscal Impact: increased state bond repayment costs averaging $200 million annually over 40 years. Local government savings for natural resources-related projects, likely averaging several tens of millions of dollars annually over the next few decades.
All Californians deserve access to clean drinking water and safe local parks. Prop 68 helps protect California’s air quality and places where families hike, camp, swim and play.
YES on Proposition 69 — Transportation Funding
Requires that certain revenues generated by a 2017 transportation funding law be used only for transportation purposes and generally prohibits Legislature from diverting funds to other purposes. Fiscal Impact: no direct effect on the amount of state and local revenues or costs but could affect how some monies are spent.
Prop 69 would make sure that money from gas and diesel taxes is only spent for transportation purposes like fixing roads and mass transit. This would help every community in the state and guarantee that taxes go to valuable transportation projects.
NO on Proposition 70 — Cap-and-Trade Amendment
Beginning in 2024, requires that cap-and-trade revenues accumulate in a reserve fund until the Legislature, by a two-thirds majority, authorizes use of the revenues. Fiscal Impact: beginning in 2024, potential temporary increase in state sales tax revenue, ranging from none to a few hundred million dollars annually, and possible changes in how revenue from sale of greenhouse gas emission permits is spent.
Requiring a two-thirds vote would make it far too difficult for lawmakers to reach an agreement and would adversely affect climate change policy.
YES on Proposition 71 — Ballot Measure Effective Date
Provides that ballot measures approved by a majority of voters shall take effect five days after the Secretary of State certifies the results of the election. Fiscal Impact: likely little or no effect on state and local finances.
Prop 71 is a simple, common sense update of our election laws. In a state where 53 percent of voters are registered to vote by mail, ballot measures should not go into effect until all votes have been counted.
YES on Proposition 72 — Taxes for Rainwater Capture Systems
Permits Legislature to allow construction of rain-capture systems, completed on or after January 1, 2019, without requiring property-tax reassessment. Fiscal Impact: probably minor reduction in annual property-tax revenues to local governments.
California has experienced periods of drought and will likely face more dry years in the future. Homeowners should not be penalized for installing rainwater capture systems that help our entire state.