There have been times when readers have asked for my opinion on statewide propositions because they trust in my judgment. I would rather they delve into the issues and study them but I will give my take on the 10 propositions we will be voting on.
Frankly I’ve pinned down how I am voting on eight of the 10.
I am voting NO on Propositions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 32 and voting absolutely YES on 36.
Bonds are nothing more than taking out the government credit card and making the taxpayers pay the bill. No on 2 and 4.
Marriage should only be between a man and woman. No on 3.
Don’t make it easier for government to raise taxes and fees. No on 5.
Yes prisons should be able to make prisoners work for their keep. Consider it’s working for rent, not indentured servants. Yes on 6.
Government should not be dictating what businesses pay their workers. That’s a market decision based on skill sets. Minimum-wage hikes only makes prices of everything go up faster. No on 32.
Rent control never works. Vote no on 33.
Prop. 47 has been a disaster and created open season on retailers. Absolutely vote Yes on 36, which will pass with flying colors.
* * * * *
At a Sept. 30 press conference in Venice, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan announced that nearly 200 locally elected Democrats and non-partisan city and county leaders have now joined the Common Sense on Safety, Yes on 36 Coalition. The rapidly growing list of endorsements includes more than 75 mayors, including the leaders of 12 of the 16 largest cities in California.
Mahan said that “too many Sacramento politicians have attempted to dismiss the pleas of local officials seeking common sense solutions to address the crisis of theft, homelessness, and drug overdoses plaguing our communities. We are not ‘just a couple of mayors’ as some have suggested, but rather a groundswell of local elected officials — mostly Democrats — fighting for responsible public safety reforms to end the suffering we see on the streets every day. The problem is neither partisan nor confined to California’s biggest cities, and that’s why hundreds of locally elected leaders from every background and every corner of our state are stepping up to say Yes on Proposition 36.”
Funny thing is the Democrats wanted their way when Prop. 47 was passed in 2014 – with their governor screaming the loudest for it – and now they are regretting their own policies which they embraced.
But Mahan had that covered when he stated: “Most of the local elected officials who have joined us supported Prop. 47, but we know firsthand that gaps in the law are costing lives, crippling small businesses, raising costs for municipalities and imposing a regressive ‘theft tax’ on working families.”
Well, at least he admitted he was misguided a decade ago but at least he came to his senses.
It’s simple. Most of the thieving is being done by drug addicts.
Prop. 47 removed the ability of judges to compel treatment for repeat drug offenders, serial thieves, and others with contact to California’s criminal justice system. Since the measure passed, drug overdoses have become the leading cause of death for Californians aged 15-44, participation in proven diversion programs like drug courts have plummeted, retail theft has spiked, and the state’s homeless population has grown by 60% despite dropping in most other states.
Prop. 36 brings back the tools needed to get more people into life-saving treatment, to hold those who repeatedly steal and deal poison on our streets accountable and to ultimately bring more of the homeless, trapped in a cycle of addiction, indoors.
The State’s Legislative Analyst’s Office has said Prop. 36 reforms would leave most of the gains made from Prop. 47’s easing of prison overcrowding intact.
* * * * *
Gavin Newsom has embarked on some dangerous territory in limiting freedom of speech and deserves to be sued and quite frankly bounced out of office on his head.
Newsom recently signed two laws that censor freedom of speech by using vague standards to punish people for posting certain political content online, including political memes and parodies of politicians.
The two laws apply around election time to censor speech through subjective standards like prohibiting pictures and videos “likely to harm” a candidate’s “electoral prospects.” AB 2839 and AB 2655 apply to any person or entity who distributes “materially deceptive content” about candidates, elected officials, and other election material. AB 2839 even forces speakers to include a disclaimer when posting satire, defeating the point of satire. AB 2655 applies to large online platforms and requires them to sometimes label, and other times remove, posts with “materially deceptive content.”
Penalties for violating the laws include significant attorneys’ fees, costs and damages
Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing The Babylon Bee and Kelly Chang Rickert, a California attorney, filed a complaint last week challenging two California laws that censor online content, including political satire and parody. The suit explains that the laws interfere with The Babylon Bee’s and Rickert’s freedom of speech, as protected by the First Amendment.
* * * * *
They keep doubling down on stupid in Sacramento.
The Democrats have a chokehold on Republicans by sheer numbers in the state Legislature and last week rammed another dumb idea through.
The state Assembly supermajority passed Governor Newsom’s proposal to force refineries to store a reserve – read that as decrease the state’s gasoline supply – which will result in higher prices at the pump. In their 87-page report, his appointees said his proposal could create artificial supply shortages, and inadvertently increase gas prices.
According to AAA, the current average price for a gallon of gas in California is $4.68, while the national average is $3.20.
Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) thinks the state can help lower prices by suspending the 60-cent per gallon state gas tax.
Yeah, that’ll happen when hell freezes over – or when Republicans takes control of the governor’s office and state Legislature, whichever is first.
This column is the opinion of Jeff Benziger, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Ceres Courier or 209 Multimedia Corporation. How do you feel about this? Let Jeff know at jeffb@cerescourier.com
