Carl DeMaio and Reform California have released their “Plain English” voter guide to give you an easy-to-understand explanation of the ballot measures and to grade candidates.
WARNING! CA politicians have placed several deceptively-worded measures on your primary election ballot – and special interests are funding dishonest campaigns to trick voters and split the vote in key races.
Check out Reform California's “Plain English” Voter Guide below so you know what you are actually voting on – complete with ratings for all candidates on your ballot (including school board and judges) along with red flags on any measures with hidden tax hikes.
Review the guide below - and share it with your friends, family and neighbors!
No on Prop 1: Borrows $11.25 Billion for Costly Housing Projects
Politicians want to borrow $10 Billion on the taxpayers’ credit card — and you’ll pay back over $17 billion with interest. Provides taxpayer-funded subsidies to developers without reforming costly mandates that make housing so expensive. Prop 1 does nothing to make housing more affordable. Many of the boondoggle projects supported by this bond will cost more than $1 MILLION per unit! Campaign contributors to politicians also get special contracts under Prop 1.
Watch Short Video Explaining Prop 1: COMING SOON
No on Prop 2: Guts State Budget Spending Limit and Cancels Tax Rebates
**DECEPTION ALERT: Appears on your ballot with the politicians’ FALSE ballot title of “Increases State’s Rainy Day Fund.”
Prop 2 claims to create a bigger rainy day fund in the state budget, but in reality it creates a new slush fund for politicians to engage in more wasteful spending. Prop 2 eviscerates the current voter-imposed spending limit on state politicians. Worse, it virtually eliminates the requirement that taxpayers receive tax rebates if revenues exceed the spending limit. With Prop 2, politicians get to keep more of your money so they can waste more of your money.
Watch Short Video Explaining Prop 2: COMING SOON
No on Prop 3: Income Tax Increase
**DECEPTION ALERT: Biased title plays up funding for schools and health care without accountability for how the money is spent.
Makes permanent California’s highest-in-the-nation income tax rates at a time when California is losing employers, jobs and taxpayers to other states and seeing lower tax revenues as a result. Worse, Prop 3 does nothing to reform wasteful spending in the programs it purports to fund, so taxpayers will not see better services. This tax was sold as “temporary” in 2012, extended in 2016 and now politicians want to make it permanent before it even expires.
Watch Short Video Explaining Prop 3: COMING SOON
No on Prop 4: Gives Your Tax Dollars to Politicians’ Campaigns
**DECEPTION ALERT: False cost estimate of only a “few hundred thousand dollars each year” when it will cost MILLIONS a year.
Repeals a previously approved ban on public financing of politicians’ campaigns. Voters wisely decided years ago that their tax dollars should never be used to fund the campaigns of politicians, but with Prop 4 the politicians are refusing to take no for an answer. They already tried to sneak this through the legislature in 2016. The courts threw it out and ruled that voters must decide. Ten years later they’re back, hat in hand, asking to spend your tax dollars on their attack ads. Tell them the same thing the courts did: NO.
Watch Short Video Explaining Prop 4: COMING SOON
No on Prop 5: Weakens Citizens’ Right to Recall Politicians from Office
Makes it harder to Recall a politician from office and simultaneously replace them with a candidate of the voters’ choosing. Under Prop 5, if the voters recall the Governor, you don’t get to choose the replacement — the office is automatically handed to the political machine’s second-in-command. The decision will be entirely out of the voters’ control.
Watch Short Video Explaining Prop 5: COMING SOON
No on Prop 37: Borrows $25 Billion for Costly Housing Projects
Provides taxpayer-funded subsidies to developers without reforming costly mandates that make housing so expensive. Worse, Prop 37 makes the State of California one of the biggest mortgage lenders in America overnight – and taxpayers are left holding the bag for any losses. Many of the boondoggle projects supported by this bond will cost more than $1M per unit! Campaign contributors to politicians also get special contracts under Prop 37.
Watch Short Video Explaining Prop 37: COMING SOON
Yes on Prop 38: Public-Private Partnership Bonds for Immunology Research
Authorizes $8 billion in bonds to support immunology research with the repayment coming from proceeds of cures and treatments. This is the only bond on the ballot that puts the strings on the government instead of the taxpayer. Every drug and treatment developed with this funding must be sold in California at 20% BELOW the national average price. Half of the research money is required by law to target cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's.
Watch Short Video Explaining Prop 38: COMING SOON
Yes on Prop 39: Voter ID to Improve Trust in Elections
**DECEPTION ALERT: Appears on your ballot with the politicians’ FALSE ballot title of “Prohibits Citizens From Voting.”
Prop 39 is a bipartisan solution for Voter ID! That’s why it is supported by large majorities of Democratic, Republican and Independent voters. Prop 39 requires cleaning up and auditing of voter rolls and citizenship verification of anyone registering to vote. It keeps voting simple while adding integrity reforms to make voting more secure. The politicians falsely claim Prop 39 prohibits citizens from voting when it will only prevent non-citizens and ineligible individuals from voting. Prop 39 protects the right of every citizen to vote and restores public trust and confidence in our elections.
Watch Short Video Explaining Prop 39: COMING SOON
No on Prop 40: “Billionaire” Tax that Is Really an “Everybody” Tax
Prop 40 is deceptively being sold as the "Billionaire's Tax" but it is really the "Everybody Tax!" Worse, Prop 40 creates the first-in-the-nation Wealth Tax (or Savings Tax) on Californians. Prop 40 contains a provision allowing state politicians to expand the Wealth Tax to everyone without another vote of the public. Prop 40 allows government to tax the value of your savings, checking account, 401k, stock portfolio, and current equity in your home. If you don't have the cash to pay the Wealth Tax, then you'd be forced to sell some of what you own.
Watch Short Video Explaining Prop 40: COMING SOON
Yes on Prop 41: Audit Special Taxes
Prop 41 would make it harder for state and local politicians to impose special taxes on you. Prop 41 requires that all special taxes include audits on all revenues raised and programs funded through the tax to prevent waste, fraud and abuse or diversion of the funds by politicians. Prop 41 also requires that these special taxes adhere to the state's constitutionally-mandated spending limit. Under California law, when two conflicting measures pass, the one with more votes wins. Even if Prop 40 passes, a bigger yes on Prop 41 cancels it.
Watch Short Video Explaining Prop 41: COMING SOON
Yes on Prop 42: Stop the Savings Tax
Prop 42 would prohibit state and local politicians from imposing a Savings Tax on Californians. Prop 42 would prohibit politicians from taxing the value of your savings, checking account, 401k, stock portfolio, and current equity in your home. We already pay the highest taxes on income, sales, property, gas and our cars— we don't need a Savings Tax on top of all that! If Prop 42 gets more votes than Prop 40, the Wealth Tax dies even if it passes. Every YES on 42 is a second NO on 40.
Watch Short Video Explaining Prop 42: COMING SOON
Yes on Prop 43: Local Taxpayer Protection Initiative (Saves Prop 13)
**DECEPTION ALERT: Appears on your ballot with the FALSE title of “Limits Voters Ability to Raise Revenues for Local Government Services.”
Prop 43 is known as the Save Prop 13— Local Taxpayer Protection Initiative. Prop 43 makes it harder for local politicians to raise your taxes by restoring the two-thirds vote requirement on any local tax measures. It also closes loopholes the politicians have created in Prop 13 to violate the property tax caps that voters originally imposed. Opponents of Prop 43 simply want more of your money to fund their waste and fraud. Vote Yes on Prop 43 to turn the tide to make California more affordable.
Watch Short Video Explaining Prop 43: COMING SOON
No on Prop 44: Imposes Costly Mandates on Community Health Clinics
Increases mandates and costs on community health clinics, threatening their ability to provide patient care. Clinics that miss the arbitrary 90% mandate pay penalties into a government account and hotwired to a narrow special interest group who is one of the politicians’ biggest campaign contributors. Trusted healthcare experts warn that Prop 44 would trigger $1.7 billion in penalties in the first year alone and force clinics across California to close their doors.
Watch Short Video Explaining Prop 44: COMING SOON
Yes on Prop 45: Reduce Housing Costs by Cutting Red Tape
Reduces regulation and combats frivolous lawsuits that have increased the cost of housing projects. California’s environmental review law (CEQA) has been weaponized to block and delay housing, adding years and millions of dollars to every project. Prop 45 is the first time voters have ever been handed the chance to reform CEQA at the ballot box.
Watch Short Video Explaining Prop 45: COMING SOON
Governor: Steve Hilton
Lt. Governor: Gloria Romero
Attorney General: Michael Gates
Secretary of State: Don Wagner
Treasurer: Jennifer Hawks
Controller: Herb Morgan
Insurance Commissioner: You are Doomed
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Sonja Shaw
Board of Equalization: Denis Bilodeau
U.S. House of Representatives
District 23: Jay Obernolte
District 25: Joe Selso Males
District 33: Stephanie M. Vargas
District 35: You Are Doomed
District 39: Steve Manos
District 40: Ken Calvert
District 48: Jim Desmond
Senate
District 18: Arthur E Hodges III
District 32: Kelly Seyarto
Assembly
District 36: Jeff Gonzalez
District 47: Greg Wallis
District 58: Leticia Castillo
District 60: Ed Delgado
District 63: Natasha Johnson
District 71: Kate Sanchez
SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES
Office 10: Michelle Paradise
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
No Endorsement
COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
District 2: Karen Spiegel
District 4: YOU ARE DOOMED
District 5: YOU ARE DOOMED
COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
Area 1: Michael Martinez Scott
Area 2: Ben Johnson
COUNTY CLERK/ASSESSOR
No Endorsement
COUNTY TREASURER
No Endorsement
COUNTY AUDITOR-CONTROLLER
Ben Benoit
City of Banning
Council District 4
Council District 5
City of Beaumont
City Council
City Council
City Council
City Clerk
City Treasurer
City of Blythe
City Council
City Clerk
City Treasurer
City of Calimesa
City Council
City Council
City of Canyon Lake
City Council
City Council
City of Cathedral City
Council District 3
Council District 4
Council District 5
City Treasurer
City of Coachella
City Council
City Council
City of Corona
Council District 1
Council District 4
Council District 5
City of Desert Hot Springs
Council District 1
Council District 3
City of Eastvale
Council District 1
Council District 3
Council District 4
City of Hemet
Council District 1
Council District 2
Council District 5
City of Indian Wells
City Council
City Council
City of Indio
Council District 2
Council District 3
Council District 4
City of Jurupa Valley
Council District 1
Council District 3
Council District 5
City of Lake Elsinore
Council District 1
Council District 3
Council District 4
City of La Quinta
City Council
City Council
City of Menifee
Council District 2
Council District 4
City of Moreno Valley
Mayor
Council District 2
Council District 4
City of Murrieta
Council District 1
Council District 2
Council District 5
City of Norco
City Council
City Councill
City of Palm Desert
Council District 4
Council District 5
City of Palm Springs
Council District 1
Council District 2
Council District 3
City of Perris
Council District 1
Council District 3
City Clerk
City of Rancho Mirage
City Council
City Council
City Council
City of Riverside (run-off)
Ward 2: YOU ARE DOOMED
Ward 4: Chuck Conder
Ward 6: YOU ARE DOOMED
City of San Jacinto
City Council
City Council
City of Temecula
Council District 1
Council District 3
Council District 5: Russell Shirley
City of Wildomar
Council District 1
Council District 3
Council District 5
Desert Community College District
Trustee Area 1 (Portion Imperial)
Trustee Area 4
Mt. San Jacinto Community College District
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 4
Palo Verde Community College District
Trustee Area 1
Riverside Community College District
Trustee Area 2:
Trustee Area 4:
Trustee Area 5:
San Bernardino Community College District
Trustee Area 4:
Trustee Area 6:
Colton Joint Unified School District
Trustee Area 1:
Trustee Area 2:
Trustee Area 3:
Alvord Unified School District
Trustee Area 1
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 4
Banning Unified School District
Trustee Area 1
Trustee Area 5
Beaumont Unified School District
Trustee Area 2
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 4
Coachella Valley Unified School District
Trustee Area 1
Trustee Area 2
Corona - Norco Unified School District
Trustee Area 2
Trustee Area 4
Desert Center Unified School District
Desert Sands Unified School District
Trustee Area 2
Trustee Area 5
Hemet Unified School District
Trustee Area 2
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 5
Trustee Area 7
Jurupa Unified School District
Trustee Area 1
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 5
Lake Elsinore Unified School District
Trustee Area 1
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 5
Menifee Union School District
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 4
Trustee Area 5
Moreno Valley Unified School District
Trustee Area 1
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 4
Murrieta Valley Unified School District
Trustee Area 1
Trustee Area 2
Trustee Area 3
Nuview Union School District
Trustee Area 1
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 4
Palm Springs Unified School District
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 4
Trustee Area 5
Palo Verde Unified School District
Perris Elementary School District
Trustee Area 1
Trustee Area 2
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 5
Perris Union High School District
Trustee Area 1
Trustee Area 5
Riverside Unified School District
Trustee Area 1
Trustee Area 5
Romoland School District
Trustee Area 1
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 5
San Jacinto Unified School District
Trustee Area 4
Trustee Area 5
Temecula Valley Unified School District
Trustee Area 2
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 4
Val Verde Unified School District
Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 4
Trustee Area 5
Edgemont Community Services District
Candidate:
Candidate:
Candidate:
Jurupa Community Services District
Division 1
Division 3
Division 5
Rubidoux Community Services District (Portion San Bernardino)
Candidate:
Candidate:
So. Coachella Valley Community Services District
Candidate:
Candidate:
Candidate:
Tenaja Community Services District
Candidate:
Candidate:
Idyllwild Fire Protection District
Candidate:
Candidate:
Candidate:
Desert Healthcare
District Zone 2
Zone 4
Zone 6
Palo Verde Healthcare District
Candidate:
Candidate:
Candidate:
San Gorgonio Memorial Healthcare District
Candidate:
Candidate:
Candidate:
Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District
Division 3
Division 4
Division 5 (Portion San Bernardino)
Banning Library District (3)
Beaumont Library District (3)
Beaumont Library District - Short Term (1)
Palo Verde Valley Library District (2)
Palo Verde Valley Library District - Short Term (1)
Beaumont-Cherry Valley Recreation and Park District
Division 3
Division 4
Desert Recreation District
Division 1
Division 4
Jurupa Area Recreation and Park District
Division 4
Division 5
Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District
Division 1
Division 3
Home Gardens Sanitary District
Candidate:
Candidate:
Candidate:
Valley Sanitary District
Division A
Division C
Desert Water Agency
Division 1
Division 2
Division 3
San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency At
Large #2
Division 3
Division 4 (portion San Bernardino)
Rancho California Water District
Candidate:
Candidate:
Candidate:
Candidate:
Coachella Valley Water District
Division 1
Division 3
Division 5 (Portion Imperial & San Diego)
Home Gardens County Water District
Candidate:
Candidate:
Candidate:
Idyllwild Water District
Candidate:
Candidate:
Mission Springs Water District
Division 1
Division 5
Pine Cove Water District
Candidate:
Candidate:
Candidate:
Eastern Municipal Water District
Division 1
Division 2
Division 5
Elsinore Valley Municipal District
Division 1
Division 3 (portion Orange)
Division 5
Lake Hemet Municipal Water District
Division 1
Division 3
Division 4
Western Municipal Water District
Division 1
Division 2
Division 3 (Portion Orange)
Yucaipa Valley Water District
Division 5 (Portion San Bernardino)
San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District
Division 4 (Portion Riverside)
NOTE: If we do not make a recommendation on a candidate or ballot measure, we either could not support the measure or candidates running in that race, or do not have enough information to make an informed recommendation.
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