Bottom Line: Remember to Vote

Publisher Recommends… LOCAL MEASURES & STATE PROPS

SAN BERNARDINO CITY

• Measure Q: The City of San Bernardino is presently locked into utilizing a set formula to establish the compensation for police, fire and emergency safety personnel. Every other city in the state negotiates compensation based on ability to pay. San Bernardino, like all other California cities, should not be subject to automatic pay increases for public and emergency safety personnel!  All San Bernardino employee salaries should be set through collective bargaining, just like the other 481 Cities in the State. Vote For Change. Vote YES on Measure Q. (To read all the measures, visit www.wssnews.com).

• Measure R: Presently any City employee in the classified service that has been suspended, discharged or reduced in classification for disciplinary reasons has the right to appeal that decision and receive regular pay for the appeal period, whether they win or lose the appeal.  In other words, the disciplinary action cannot occur until the appeal decision is made. No one should be paid for creating and losing a long drawn out appeal. That is paying for work not done. Vote For Change. Vote YES on Measure R

HIGHLAND

•  Measure I: The Highland Measure would divide the City into five City Council Districts. To elect members “by district” means that City Council candidates must reside in a specific district and be elected only by the registered voters who live in that district. Currently, the voters elect members of the Highland City Council “at large” which means that candidates may live anywhere in the City and voters throughout the City vote for all five members of the City Council.  If the measure passes with a majority of YES votes, candidates would run and be elected ‘by district’ in 2016. Your Neighborhood should have a voice and City Council Districts are a step in that direction! Vote For Change. Vote Yes on Measure I

•  Prop48   Indian Gaming Compacts. Referendum. Put on the Ballot by Petition Signatures: A “Yes” vote approves, and a “No” vote rejects, tribal gaming compacts between the state and the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians and the Wiyot Tribe. Fiscal Impact: One-time payments ($16 million to $35 million) and for 20 years annual payments ($10 million) from Indian tribes to state and local governments to address costs related to the operation of a new casino. I Do Not Like Casinos, but I Like The Idea Of Reserving The Right To Own Casinos To One Group Of People Even Less! Maybe This Will Lead To A Black Tribe Owning One, Or At Least Benefiting From One! Vote Yes On Prop 48. Not Change, but may lead to it…
•  Prop 46   Drug and Alcohol Testing Of Doctors. Medical Negligence Lawsuits. Initiative Statute. Put on the Ballot by Petition Signatures: Requires drug testing of doctors. Requires review of statewide prescription database before prescribing controlled substances. Increases $250,000 pain/suffering cap in medical negligence lawsuits for inflation. Fiscal Impact: State and local government costs from raising the cap on medical malpractice damages ranging from tens of millions to several hundred million dollars annually, offset to some extent by savings from requirements on health care providers. This would be a great initiative if it included drug testing for Lawyers; however, it is a good start! Vote For Change. Vote Yes On Prop 46
• Prop 45  Healthcare Insurance.  Rate Changes Initiative Statute. Put on the Ballot by Petition Signatures: Requires Insurance Commissioner’s approval before health insurer can change its rates or anything else affecting the charges associated with health insurance. Provides for public notice, disclosure, and hearing, and subsequent judicial review. Exempts employer large group health plans. Fiscal Impact: Increased state administrative costs to regulate health insurance, likely not exceeding the low millions of dollars annually in most years, funded from fees paid by health insurance companies.  Regulation Of Insurance Rates Is A Good thing! Vote For Change. Vote Yes On Prop 45
• Prop47   Criminal Sentences. Misdemeanor Penalties. Initiative Statute. Put on the Ballot by Petition Signatures: Requires misdemeanor sentence instead of felony for certain drug and property offenses. Inapplicable to persons with prior conviction for serious or violent crime and registered sex offenders. Fiscal Impact: State and county criminal justice savings potentially in the high hundreds of millions of dollars annually. State savings spent on school truancy and dropout prevention, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and victim services. There are too many people in prison who should not be there, taking up room that ought to be used by people who should be there! Vote For Change Vote Yes On Prop 47
•  Prop 1   Water Bond. Funding for Water Quality, Supply, Treatment, and Storage Projects. Put on the Ballot by the Legislature: Authorizes $7.545 billion in general obligation bonds for state water supply infrastructure projects, including surface and groundwater storage, ecosystem and watershed protection and restoration, and drinking water protection. Fiscal Impact: Increased state bond costs averaging $360 million annually over 40 years. Local government savings for water-related projects, likely averaging a couple hundred million dollars annually over the next few decades. Though this money is intended for worthy projects, it will redirect money from our most important program… Education! Vote For Change, Emphasize Education, Vote No on Prop 1

•  Prop 2   State Budget. Budget Stabilization Account. Legislative Constitutional Amendment. Put on the Ballot by the Legislature: Requires annual transfer of state general fund revenues to budget stabilization account. Requires half the revenues be used to repay state debts. Limits use of remaining funds to emergencies or budget deficits. Fiscal Impact: Long-term state savings from faster payment of existing debts. Different levels of state budget reserves, depending on economy and decisions by elected officials. Smaller local reserves for some school districts. Though this money is intended for worthy projects, it will redirect money from our most important program… Education! Vote For Change, Emphasize Education, Vote No on Prop 2

Author: Wallace J. Allen