California Ballot Measure Recommendations

Proposition 2: Authorizes Bonds For Public School and Community College Facilities.

No

Proposition 3: Constitutional Right To Marriage.

No

I am cool with Gay Marriage in California and California is so socially liberal that there is practically zero chance of Gay Marriage being outlawed. However, this amounts to cringe virtue signaling. Why not privatize marriage with contract law instead?

Proposition 4: Authorizes Bonds For Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, and Protecting Communities and Natural Lands from Climate Risks.

No

I support wilderness conservationism and sane pro-environmental policies. However, this measure is too broad and ripe for waste and corruption. I’d like to see more specific projects. Even the liberal East Bay Times/San Jose Mercury opposes prop 4.

Proposition 5: Allows Local Bonds For Affordable Housing and Public Infrastructure With 55% Voter Approval.

No

I don’t see why California needs bonds for affordable housing when it is much more cost-efficient to up-zone and mandate a certain number of affordable units for new developments. Left-YIMBYs are supporting Prop 5.

Proposition 6: Eliminates Constitutional Provision Allowing Involuntary Servitude For Incarcerated Persons.

Yes

This is one measure where I am voting lefty on. Most inmates probably want to work, and forced labor without pay is just cruel.

Proposition 32: Raises Minimum Wage.

Yes

This measure would raise California’s minimum wage to $18 an hour from $16, granting California the highest minimum wage in the Nation. While the minimum wage hike is inflationary in the short term, I support it to encourage the automation of low-skilled jobs. This is the only politically correct solution to deter illegal immigration. Also, those with low wages have to be subsidized by the government. However, wages in coastal urban areas are already over $18 an hour. The counterargument is that the wage hike could harm small businesses in poorer regions like the Central Valley.

Proposition 33: Expands Local Governments’ Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property.

No

This draconian statewide rent control measure is a scheme by NIMBYs to block new housing. Basically, a city can declare all rentals are under rent control, making it impossible to renovate or demolish properties for more units. While some low income seniors would benefit, it would drastically drive up the cost of housing and cause more young people to leave California.

Proposition 34: Restricts Spending On Prescription Drug Revenues By Certain Healthcare Providers.

Yes

While this measure is confusing in how it is worded, it means that non-profits would have to spend government funding allocated for medications directly rather than on administrative costs, housing, or pocketing the profits for themselves. This measure primarily applies to the Aids Healthcare Foundation, and if passed, could shut down the Aids Healthcare Foundation, or greatly stifle its influence.

The Aid Healthcare Foundation is a healthcare non-profit that is also behind the rent control measure, and has been accused of being a slumlord. What the Foundation has been accused of doing is profiting off of State subsidized prescription drugs for Aids patients to fund their political causes. Prop 34 passing would be a huge defeat to left-NIMBYism in California. Basically, the ideology of blocking new housing in the name of affordable housing and anti-gentrification.

Proposition 35: Provides Permanent Funding For Medi-Cal Health Care Services.

No

Prop 35 taxes managed healthcare providers to fund Medi-Cal while promising to reimburse them with federal funding. This measure would just pass down healthcare costs and benefit doctors and healthcare administrators rather than recipients.

Proposition 36: Allows Felony Charges and Increases Sentences for Certain Drug and Theft Crimes.

Yes

Prop 36 repeals a previous ballot measure, prop 47, that is responsible for a lot of the recent crime wave. While the tough on crime era of the 90s might have gone too far, things have gone in the opposite direction with crime a huge problem in urban areas. The key is finding the right balance.

Summary

My votes on these ballot measures are fairly conservative coded, with some exceptions. I am not ideologically conservative, and would even be open to more socialist policies if the right people were in power. I am generally opposed to bonds, as they are just debt. While I support funding specific projects, most of these bonds are too general. Taxes are already fairly high and there is a lot of waste, corruption, and poor resource allocation. Not to mention that California had a budget surplus that was squandered.

While an income tax hike could harm California’s economy and cause a further exodus of wealth, billionaires and mega tech corporations like Alphabet and Meta should probably pay more in taxes. California should also look into taxing underutilized commercial properties and vacancies. Regardless, the big issue is funding public employee pensions and salaries. California must cap pensions and freeze administrative government jobs before considering any further bonds or tax hikes, which likely will never happen.