How Not To Vote

All you need to know to determine your vote in November is that a vote for any candidate endorsed by unions is a vote for higher taxes.

I am pleased to report that UAW 2865 Los Angeles has provided a perfect list of who NOT to vote for with this endorsement

Dear UAW 2865 members,

The November 2nd election is just around the corner. This election will decide the future of our state for many years to come. As educators, students, and public employees, we have a lot at stake in the election of Jerry Brown as Governor. Brown has been a champion of both higher education and labor rights, signing the first legislation that allowed public employees, teachers, and farm workers to organize and bargain collectively. Brown oversaw the expansion of the UC and CSU systems. These are difficult times for our state and for the University of California. Much of this difficulty is from a lack of leadership in Sacramento and the refusal of Republican lawmakers to vote for fair tax policies that reinvest in the public sector.

We need to make our voices heard at the ballot box. Below you’ll find the candidates endorsed by UAW as well as our local’s recommendations on the propositions.

STATEWIDE
Governor: Jerry Brown(D)
United States Senator: Barbara Boxer(D)
Lieutenant Governor: Gavin Newsom(D)
Attorney General: Kamala Harris(D)
Secretary of State: Debra Bowen(D)
Treasurer: Bill Lockyer(D)
Controller: John Chiang(D)
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tom Torlakson(D)
Insurance Commissioner: Dave Jones(D)

Board of Equalization
District 1: Betty Yee(D)
District 2: Chris Parker(D)
District 3: No Endorsement
District 4: Jerome Horton(D)

Proposition 19: YES
Legalizes, taxes Marijuana: Prop 19 would generate millions of dollars in tax revenue, while addressing many of the core causes of the explosive growth of California's prison population.

Proposition 20: NO
Expands Unelected Redistricting Commission: Backed by big business, this initiative would extend the expensive and unwieldy new system of drawing state legislative boundaries to the US Congressional districts. It would require that lines be drawn along "economic interest", dividing the state into "rich" and "poor" districts. Opposed by labor and environmental organizations.

Proposition 21: YES
Keeps State Parks Open: Prop 21 establishes a modest vehicle licensing fee to fund state parks, making them independent of the general fund and insuring they stay open even during budget crises.

Proposition 22: NO
Ballot Box Budgeting: This initiative prohibits use of local redevelopment agencies and transportation funding by the State. While we support adequate funding for both these sectors, the California budget process is already overburdened by complex restrictions and protections. We need more, not less, flexibility in our budget process. Opposed by education unions, health care providers and firefighters.

Proposition 23: NO
Suspends Air Pollution Control Laws (AB 32): Proposition 23 is a very dangerous initiative, funded by out of state Oil and Petrochemical corporations that would overturn landmark climate change legislation. In addition, if passed, many environmental protections would be suspended if state unemployment dips below 5.5% for four consecutive quarters. Opposed by environmentalists, labor, and politicians, including Jerry Brown, Meg Whitman, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Proposition 24: YES
Repeals Corporate Tax Loopholes: Sponsored by the California Teachers Association, Proposition 24 would repeal a series of tax loopholes for multistate corporations that were crafted behind closed doors as part of recent budget negotiations. Supported by labor, education advocates and the California League of Women Voters.

Proposition 25: YES
Majority Vote Budget: Simply put, this is the most important initiative on the ballot for state employees and higher education. Proposition 24 would establish a simple majority threshold for enacting a budget in California, eliminating the 2/3 requirement for budgets and the tyranny of the minority which has rendered the state dysfunctional over the past several decades.

Proposition 26: NO
More 2/3 Restrictions: Another corporate-sponsored initiative, Prop 26 would actually -extend- the 2/3ds requirement for raising fees or levies at both the state and local levels. Currently, extending existing fees, if they are overall revenue neutral, require only a simple majority. This would end even this small bit of majority-rule from our broken budget system. Opposed by health care advocates, labor, environmentalists and the California League of Cities.

Proposition 27: YES
Restores Democratic Control of Redistricting: In 2008, Californians adopted a new system that took control over redistricting from elected representatives and created an unelected "independent" commission to draw new boundaries. Proposition 27 would bring this process back to elected officials who can be held accountable. It also gives voters a final say on the map created by the state legislature.

REGIONAL
U.S. Representatives in Congress
District 25: Jacquese Conaway(D)
District 26: Russ Warner(D)
District 27: Brad Sherman(D)
District 28: Howard Berman(D)
District 29: Adam Schiff(D)
District 30: Henry Waxman(D)
District 31: Xavier Becerra(D)
District 32: Judy Chu(D)
District 33: Karen Bass(D)
District 34: Lucille Roybal-Allard(D)
District 35: Maxine Waters(D)
District 36: Jane Harmon(D)
District 37: Laura Richardson(D)
District 38: Grace Napolitano(D)
District 39: Linda Sanchez(D)

California State Senate
District 20: Alex Padilla(D)
District 22: Kevin De Leon(D)
District 24: Ed Hernandez(D)
District 26: Curren Price(D)
District 28: Jenny Oropeza(D)
District 30: Ron Calderon(D)

California Assembly
District 36: Dual Endorsement Shawntrice Watkins (D) and Linda Jones(D)
District 38: Diana Shaw(D)
District 39: Felipe Fuentes(D)
District 40: Bob Blumenfield(D)
District 41: Julia Brownley(D)
District 42: Mike Feuer(D)
District 43: Mike Gatto(D)
District 44: Anthony Portantino(D)
District 45: Gilbert Cedillo(D)
District 46: John Perez(D)
District 47: Holly Mitchell(D)
District 48: Mike Davis(D)
District 49: Mike Eng(D)
District 50: Richard Lara(D)
District 51: Steven Bradford(D)
District 52: Isadore Hall(D)
District 53: Betsy Butler(D)
District 54: Bonnie Lowenthal(D)
District 55: Warren Furutani(D)
District 56: Tony Mendoza(D)
District 57: Roger Hernandez(D)
District 58: Charles Calderon(D)

Los Angeles County Assessor: John Noguez
Santa Monica City Council: Terry O’Day

The above Email was sent to me by reader "Chris who writes ...

Dear Mish

UAW Local 2865 is a public employees union. It represents teaching assistants at UCLA. I was a member last year, and still get their emails. Funny to begin with that grad students are represented by the auto workers union, but I was blown away by the last sentence of the intro paragraph to the "voting guide," which warns us to vote the straight Democratic ticket because of "the refusal of Republican lawmakers to vote for fair tax policiesthat reinvest in the public sector."

We pay 9.75 percent sales tax in Los Angeles County, and the 9.55 percent state income tax bracket starts somewhere around $48,000. We pay the highest gasoline tax in the nation. Add property taxes, ten percent transient occupancy taxes on hotel rooms, vehicle licensing fees, business license fees, and on and on -- and our union concludes that the problem is not enough taxes.

How much would be enough? There's no such thing. I'm absolutely certain that at 20 percent sales tax, AFSCME and ATLA and the UAW Local 2865 would still be blasting out messages condemning the state's failure to levy sufficient taxes.

Oh, if only we had politicians who were willing to tax us!

Chris

Prop 25

Note that the one thing most wanted by UAW 2865 was a vote for Proposition 25. That means the very last thing you want to see happen is a vote for Proposition 25.

It is very nice of UAW 2865 to provide this valuable service.

Moreover, they have made it easy by endorsing only Democrats. That means all you really need to know in the upcoming election if you live in California is to vote straight Republican with a "NO" vote on proposition 25.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
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