Article II Section 10(d) of California’s constitution is brief, to wit: “Prior to circulation of an initiative or referendum petition for signatures, a copy shall be submitted to the attorney general who shall prepare a title and summary of the measure as provided by law.” That sounds like a routine...
Walters: High-Octane Ballot Measures Lining up for 2020
Gov. Gavin Newsom this week vetoed a perennial effort by his fellow Democrats to hamstring business and conservative groups’ use of statewide ballot measures. Assembly Bill 1451 would have prohibited qualifying ballot measures by paying professional circulators on a per-signature basis, but gave Democrats’ union allies a carveout. Paraphrasing former Gov....
Walters: An Ethical Double Standard
A political scandal that erupted in San Diego 16 years ago indirectly established a peculiar — and unseemly — ethical double standard regarding local ballot measures. Simply put, while it may be legal for public officials to mislead the public in seeking approval of bond and tax measures — which...
Walters: A Crackdown on Misuse of Taxpayer Money?
As documented in this space on several occasions, local government officials throughout California have been thumbing their noses at a state law that prohibits them from using taxpayer funds for political campaigns. Officials in cities, counties, school districts and special purpose districts routinely hire campaign management firms, often with multi-million-dollar...
Dan Walters: Four Measures Would Do Little About Housing Crisis
Few would doubt that California’s single most important economic/political issue is a growing housing shortage which distresses millions of Californians and is the largest single factor in the state’s highest-in-the-nation poverty rate. The state says we need to be building 180,000 new housing units each year to keep up with...
The Best Story You'll Ever Read on California Taxes
Politicians, special interest groups and taxpayer advocates make all kinds of claims about California taxes. As voters gear up for the June 5 primary, they deserve to know the facts about California's tax burden — and where those public dollars are spent. Judy Lin of CALmatters digs out the facts...