The Malibu Times June ballot endorsements
In addition to the primaries, there are several propositions on the June ballot. We make no endorsements on the primaries but we do on the ballot propositions. We strongly suggest that you totally ignore all the TV commercials, which are almost all, and I emphasis all, misleading to the point of being fraudulent.
Proposition 14, the “Open Primary Proposition”
We recommend a strong Yes vote.
It would change the law so that everyone could vote in the same primary. The two top vote getters would then go on to the General Election. The hope of the drafters of the proposition is that we would make the elections less partisan, and that the most radical, whether on the left or the right, would have less influence. As it stands today, most moderates of either party don’t have much of a chance in the primary, and the way districts are gerrymandered, whoever wins the primary wins the election.
Who is against it?
Well, in a remarkable show of bipartisanship and unity, just about every officeholder and politician in either party, Democratic or Republican, are against it. They are all perfectly happy with just the way it is, even if it is dysfunctional and doesn’t work.
If you’re tired of gridlock and want to change how the system runs, votes Yes on Proposition 14.
Proposition 15, “Partial Public Funding”
Yes on 15.
If passed, it would allow for public funding of some election campaigns, beginning with the Secretary of State race. If a candidate takes public money, they are barred from accepting private money. It’s philosophically somewhat similar to what we do in presidential elections.
Most of the “White Hat” groups, like the League of Women Voters, Common Cause and AARP, support it. Most of the “Black Hat” groups, like the lobbyist trade group and the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, are against it.
We support it and recommend a Yes vote, but I believe that the U.S. Department of the Treasury should help finance election contests, otherwise all we get are the institutionally well-heeled making the laws, which is never good.
Proposition 16, “Local Public Electricity Act”
An emphatic No vote.
It would require a two-thirds approval from the voters before cities or the county could choose an alternative energy provider. It sounds very democratic, but it isn’t. It’s a scam by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to block governments from shopping around for cheaper energy without first going through the process of an expensive election. If they can’t shop around, guess whom they have to buy from. You guessed it-PG&E. PG&E has already spent $30-plus million in support of the measure and it’s not because they’re in favor of good government. I recommend a definite No vote, and tell your friends also.
Proposition 17, “Auto Insurance Discount Act”
Another emphatic No vote.
This is another one of those propositions that sounds a bit like a good government and consumer fairness proposition when the reality is that it is just the opposite. It’s a scam being pushed and funded by George Joseph, the major domo of Mercury Insurance, with only one objective- to stick it to the insurance consumer by imposing surcharges on people shopping around for cheaper insurance. It’s about as anti-consumer as it can be, so much so that even the other insurance companies have stayed away from funding the campaign. If you own an insurance company, vote for it. If you don’t and are just an insurance buyer then it’s a definite No vote.