My California friends know what I do for a living, and every election cycle I get tons of texts and messages asking for my voting recommendations and advice on the tons of measures that come up every ballot. Eventually, I got tired of writing a hundred different messages and just decided to post my own voter guide for the ease of my friends who trust my opinion. It’s quickly burgeoned into one of my most demanded offerings. If you’re new to my guide, let me explain a couple of things about it:
I make this guide with the idea that the person reading it doesn’t pay much attention to their local politics. If some things sound “simplistic” that’s on purpose. Lots of people don’t really know the details or definitions of different offices and measures. Think of this as a guide for “dummies” in a way (sorry, friends. You’re not the dummies…I promise!). If you want high-end analytics, this isn’t the guide for you.
So here’s the deal: I’ll define the ballot measure, tell you what your YES vote means and what your NO vote means (sometimes they make those things confusing), how much it will cost the state, and how I’m voting (in case that helps you). At the end of this guide I’ve included my picks for local offices. Do with that what you will.
My goal isn’t to get you to vote like me, it is to give you the most information in the simplest form so you can make your own decisions. Of course, I think my opinions are right…that’s why they’re mine. But you do you!
Tips:
-A BOND is a ‘tax.’
-The INCUMBENT is the person running for reelection.
-If you see the words GENERAL FUND in a ballot measure, run the other way. Our General Fund is a robust fund that Sacramento is always trying to raid for their pet projects. They’ll often create new tax initiatives just to be able to divert those funds to the GF, which has less expenditure accountability.
-It’s ok to SKIP A CATEGORY you don’t understand. Some of your local races and ballot measures win by very slim margins. If you’re not sure, don’t throw away a vote just because you think you have to vote. It’s perfectly fine to leave a box empty and move on. It’s not a test! You don’t lose points
-Don’t know which DISTRICT/AREA you’re in? CLICK ON THIS LINK. Provide your address and you’ll see your boundaries.
-Don’t let the news keep you from the ballot box! I know a lot of people feel suspicious of mail-in ballots and I’ve heard some say they aren’t sure it’s worth it to even cast a vote. We can’t control the process of mail-in voting at this moment. There’s only one thing we can know for certain – the only vote that is guaranteed not to count is the one you don’t cast. VOTE!
I hope this helps.
Prop 1 CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM. LEGISLATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
What it does: Amends the California Constitution to include abortion as a human right.
Projected State Budget Fiscal Impact: none
What your YES vote means: Yes, I want the right to abortion specifically added to the California Constitution, despite the Supreme Court finding no explicit right in our federal constitution.
What your NO vote means: No, I don’t want abortion specifically added to the California Constitution.
How I’ll be voting: As a staunchly pro-life person, I would never support adding a “right” to end the life of an infant. That being said, abortion is already legal in California. We shouldn’t be amending our constitution to reflect a heated social issue that changes again and again over time. This is a legislative issue and we have no plans to end abortion in this state at any point.
Prop 26 ALLOWS IN-PERSON ROULETTE, DICE GAMES, SPORTS WAGERING ON TRIBAL LANDS. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND STATUTE
What it does: Gambling initiative that makes it legal for Indian gaming tribes to offer in-person roulette and dice games, and offer in-person sports betting, expanding the tribal gambling industry and allowing for certain tribal racetracks to offer roulette and dice games in-person. This is one of TWO gambling initiatives on the ballot – they are competing initiatives so be careful about the details.
What your YES vote means: Yes, I want Indian gaming tribes to expand gambling to include roulette and dice games, and I want them to expand to tribal racetrack betting facilities as well.
What your NO vote means: No, I do not wish to see gambling expanded on tribal lands.
Projected State Budget Fiscal Impact: perhaps in the tens of millions in increased state revenue.
How I’ll be voting: I’m voting NO on this one, for a couple of reasons. One reason is that I don’t think the government has any place in regulating these games in the first place. Voting for Prop 26 just keeps them the decision-makers in who gets to gamble and where. Tribes should not have to ask for permission to do something they’re already doing in other forms. The other reason is that there is another measure on the ballot that would expand this option to ALL gambling outfits, regardless of whether or not they are on tribal land. California gaming tribes are pushing 26 and asking people to defeat 27, which tells me they are fighting for their monopoly. I don’t like monopolies and I’ll never vote for one, even when it comes to gambling. If this is legal in our state, it should be legal for anyone, regardless of ethnicity.
Prop 27 ALLOWS ONLINE AND MOBILE SPORTS WAGERING OUTSIDE TRIBAL LANDS. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND STATUTE.
What it does: This prop basically does what Prop 26 does except it expands it to businesses outside of tribal lands. In other words, gambling services expand outside of Indian tribes and into the market.This would open up the online sports betting market in California in particular.
Projected Fiscal Impact: increased state revenues up to $500 million per year.
What your YES vote means: Yes, I agree online sports betting and expanded gambling services should be offered to both Indian gaming tribes and non-tribal entities, expanding the gambling market in California.
What your NO vote means: No, I don’t think businesses outside of Indian gaming tribes should be allowed to operate gambling services in California. Let’s keep gambling limited to tribal lands.
How I’ll be voting: As I said, I’m voting NO on 26 and YES on this one. Gambling is a vice, but if it’s legal, any gambling business should be able to offer it. Competition breeds success, and in this case it will also provide more money for state coffers. State revenue provided through this initiative will supposedly be used to fund homeless and addiction services and education, but I won’t hold my breath.
Prop 28 PROVIDES ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR ARTS AND MUSIC 28 EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. INITIATIVE STATUTE
What it does: Provides additional funding from state General Fund for arts and music education in all K-12 public schools (including charter schools).
Projected Fiscal Impact: About $1 billion dollars per year.
What your YES vote means: YES, I’d like to divert money from the state’s General Fund into more arts and music education for public schools.
What your NO vote means: NO, leave the General Fund alone and continue to fund state education through the education fund.
How I’ll be voting: I never vote for a new tax. Ever. California already has an education budget of over a billion dollars. Arts and music educations are vital to a healthy public system. Where’s all the money we’ve already budgeted going? We should cut waste and help districts think outside of the box to solve music/arts issues before we ask families to foot another bill in this economy. As an artist, I am a strong supporter of our music/arts educators. They need real support, not another scheme from Sacramento to legally pull money out of the General Fund and spread it around to their chronies, especially considering the gross incompetence that has come from the state on education issues over the last two years. The General Fund is meant to fund infrastructure, rainy day emergencies and time-sensitive state projects. It’s there for a reason, as is the Education Fund. If you’ve read my voter guides in the past, you’ll know that I always say whenever you see “General Fund” in a ballot measure, run far away. It’s just the Sacramento swamp monsters trying to get their hands on money they’re not allowed to have. This one’s a big NO from me. Let’s use what we already have to support our vital arts programs. Can we use some of the COVID surplus the Governor keeps talking about? If we pass Prop 27 the education fund will get a nice chunk of that revenue. No need to tax Californians in the worst economy in decades.
PROP 29 PROP REQUIRES ON-SITE LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL AT KIDNEY DIALYSIS CLINICS AND ESTABLISHES OTHER STATE REQUIREMENTS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
I’m not even going to bother talking this one out. It is on the ballot literally EVERY SINGLE ELECTION CYCLE. It is a scheme to unionize private health care facilities and dialysis clinics that don’t require union employees on site.
It fails every time it’s brought up. Let’s fail it again, please. It’s ridiculous how much money these groups have poured into passing this measure to date. They probably could have cured kidney disease by now with all that cash. Just vote NO and let this terrible idea sink to the bottom of the sludge pit until they dig it up again for the next election.
PROP 30 PROVIDES FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION AND PREVENT WILDFIRES BY INCREASING TAX ON PERSONAL INCOME OVER $2 MILLION INITIATIVE STATUTE.
What it does: Adds a 1.75% income tax to Californians earning over $2 million annually to provide consumer tax rebates on green vehicles, provide charging stations and add funding to wildfire prevention programs.
Projected Fiscal Impact: $3.5 – $5 billion in revenue annually
What your YES vote means: Yes, let’s add another income tax to the earnings of Californians earning over $2 million annually.
What your NO vote means: No, I don’t want to approve this tax.
How I’ll be voting: Let’s just do the math on this – it’s a new tax to pay for a tax cut on electric vehicles and other green initiatives that most of the 40 million people can’t afford in the first place. It’s like cutting off the end of a bedsheet and adding it to the top to make it longer.
I read this entire measure and some of the funds go to strangely and vaguely defined commissions like Equity and Air Quality (huh?). It’s also notable that, as far as I could discover given the multitude of tax code references, this tax could apply to a household making more than $2 million jointly. In a state like California, that joint income level isn’t that lucrative. In many cases it puts a family solidly in the middle class, as crazy as that must sound to outsiders. In the most expensive state in the union, this isn’t a tax on the wealthy, it’s a tax on the middle class. Our governor has spent the past two years bragging about our supposed “budget surplus” so why can’t we use that for a tax rebate? If there’s a surplus, that’s not money that belongs to the government; give it back to the people, even if it’s in the form of a green tax rebate on electric vehicles most Californians can’t afford. I never vote for new taxes for Sacramento and I definitely won’t start with this one.
PROP 31 REFERENDUM ON 2020 LAW THAT WOULD PROHIBIT THE RETAIL SALE OF CERTAIN FLAVORED TOBACCO PRODUCTS.
What it does: This is a public referendum – that means we’re being asked to decide whether or not we want to continue with a 2020 law that bans flavored tobacco products. Do you like this law? YES or NO?
Projected Fiscal Impact: Loss of around $100 million annually in tobacco tax revenues.
What your YES vote means: Yes, I want the state of California to continue to ban flavored tobacco products.
What your NO vote means: No, I do not want the state of California to ban flavored tobacco products.
How I’m voting: For me this is a NO. I understand the idea – we don’t want to encourage tobacco companies to market their products to youth. However, the libertarian in me says this is a free market issue and is not something that should be decided by the state, but perhaps left to local municipalities and their voters. I encourage you to vote your conscience on this one…it may tell you something different.
WHO GETS MY VOTE ON THE BALLOT
No surprise, pretty much Republican down the ballot. Even if I weren’t a Republican myself I’d probably still do it because at this point of insanity in our state’s history a change is as good as a rest, and we could use a change from a one-party majority.
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Lance Christensen – if we want to flip our school boards this election cycle then we need a strong Sup. Of Public Instruction to support the parent movement. That person will be Lance Christensen, dad of five, school choice advocate and a conservative who will fight for parent-approved curriculum and instruction. The incumbent, Tony Thurmond, kept our schools closed and has been pushing vaccine mandates, and basically absent from his job for the past two years. Let’s kick him to the curb. Lance is my MOST ENTHUSIASTIC VOTE and I’ve personally endorsed him.
Governor: Brian Dahle because I guess he’s better than a kick in the pants, or a Governor who keeps his state in a State of Emergency for nearly three years while he campaigns for President, everywhere but here.
Lieutenant Governor: Angela Underwood Jacobs. I’ve seen her speaking in a couple of places and she’s actually a really down-to-earth candidate. If she wins, this Republican will become only the second black Lieutenant Governor in California history, and the first black woman in the position. She’s also suing Facebook over the murder of her federal security office brother, after the social media giant failed to act on threats posted on their site.
Secretary of State: Anyone concerned about election integrity, no matter what side of the fence you’re on, should be concerned about this position. The SOS has a lot of responsibilities, including certifying elections. I’m voting for Rob Bernosky, because he’s not the incumbent.
Controller: What does the State Controller do? Enjoy this handy-dandy explanation from Secretary of State website: The State Controller is the Chief Fiscal Officer of California, the sixth largest economy in the world. She helps administer two of the largest public pension funds in the nation and serves on 78 state boards and commissions. These are charged with duties ranging from protecting our coastline to helping build hospitals. The Controller is the state’s independent fiscal watchdog, providing sound fiscal control over more than $100 billion in receipts and disbursements of public funds a year, offering fiscal guidance to local governments, and uncovering fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
Lanhee Chen is the Republican candidate, so I’m voting for him, but besides that I’ve also seen Chen speak on more than one occasion and he is a very impressive human being with a fantastic pedigree, a lovely family and passion for the California his parents immigrated to for a better life. This is one of my more enthusiastic votes.
Treasurer: Jack M. Guerrero
Attorney General: Nathan Hochman. I’ve appeared on several media platforms with Hochman and I like his plan for public safety and criminal prosecution.
Insurance Commissioner: This person governs the entire insurance industry in the state and is intimately involved with consumer complaints and setting insurance rates. It is an office few people think about but has a big effect on the cost of living and business. I’m voting for Republican Robert Howell.
Member, State Board of Equalization, 4th District: What do they do? The BOE is responsible for property tax programs, alcoholic beverage tax, tax on insurers, and private railroad car tax. There is a lot of money and a lot of power involved in this position. We have two Democrat candidates: David Dodd vs. incumbent Mike Schaefer, who holds the distinction of being a California politician in various offices since 1965. I’m not endorsing either of these people, but if I’m voting for anyone here, I guess it has to be Dodd. Ask yourself if the tax situation and cost of living in California has changed for the better at all, particularly since 1965. Schaefer doesn’t seem to be involved in improving anyone’s life. I definitely can’t give the incumbent my vote.
United States Senator: You’re going to see two options on your ballot for this race – one for “Full term” and one for “Partial/Unexpired Term”, but the candidates are the same. This is Vice President Harris’ old seat that she had to vacate after she was elected to VP, so voters are being asked to pick someone to fill the rest of her term, and then they’re being asked to vote for someone to fill the following, full term. Republican Mark Meuser has my vote. He’s a constitutional attorney and I’ve watched him campaign across the state like crazy. This will be an enthusiastic vote for me.
RACES LOCAL TO ME
If you live in Orange County, and more specifically south Orange County, here are some of my local picks. These may or may not be on your ballot. You can go HERE to find the races in your area or just check out your ballot.
United State Representative 49th District – The district currently covers the northern coastal areas of San Diego County, including Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad, and Encinitas, as well as a portion of southern Orange County, including San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Ladera Ranch, and Coto de Caza.[4] Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is in the district.
Lawd, PUH-LEASE rid us of Mike Levin. He’s done nothing of value since his election. Republican Brian Maryott has my vote.
State Senator 38th District: (it’s a weirdly shaped district) The 38th State Senate District includes the southern Orange County communities of Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Hills, Ladera Ranch, Rancho Mission Viejo, Las Flores and Coto de Caza. The district extends down the coast to include the San Diego County cities of Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, Camp Pendleton, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch, and the City of San Diego. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHAT YOUR DISTRICT IS
This seat is open and I’ll be voting for Matt Gunderson, a local businessman and someone I’ve had the privilege of meeting several times. I think he’ll be a good representative of the taxpayers of our district and he understands the importance of preserving all that is good about Orange County life.
State Assembly 71st District: KATE SANCHEZ ALL DAY! I’ve been campaigning with Kate since early summer. She’s a friend. She used to work in Darrell Issa’s office and she has a lot of experience in government but also as a private citizen working to raise a family on her own and thrive in an area that has a lot of financial challenges. Kate is endorsed by Sheriff Don Barnes, and will be an advocate for public safety and fiscal responsibility. Plus she’s really nice. In case that’s the kind of thing you vote for.
JUDGES
I know, I know…what are all these offices and why am I voting for them??? And who are all these people??? Some judicial positions are appointed, others are elected. It’s really tough to suss out what type of person these candidates are. I’ve done the MOST VERY BASIC OF THE BASICS RESEARCH on these people and I’ve boiled it down to just KEYWORDS that I hope give you enough of a sense about the candidate to satisfy your curiosity. Of course, I recommend just googling these names on your own in advance and mark them off on your practice ballot. I only have one enthusiastic vote and that is for the only judge endorsed by the OCGOP, Peggy Huang, for Superior Court Judge Office No.30. Besides Peggy, these ARE NOT ENDORSEMENTS. I AM ONLY POSTING FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES.
For Chief Justice of California: Patricia Guerroro – appointed to her current office by Governor Newsom
For Associate Justice of the Supreme Court: Goodwin Liu – Berkley professor (when I googled his name the autofill filled in the search bar with “Goodwin Liu affair *shrug emoji here*)
For Associate Justice of the Supreme Court: Martin Jenkins – San Francisco
For Associate Justice of the Supreme Court: Joshua Groban – Not Josh Groban, the famous singer; sorry, that’s the best I can do.
For Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division One: Judith McConnell – not Judith McConnell the actress; does a lot of stuff for women’s organizations
For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division One: Truc T.Do – parents came here as part of Vietenmese refugees resettled through Camp Pendleton; lots of charitable non-profit experience.
For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division One: Martin N. Buchanan – Harvard, Brown, appointed by Newsom
For Presiding judge, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Two: Manuel Ramirez -Not Manny Ramirez, the baseball star; coached little league and Pop Warner; used to be charter member of Catholic Lawyers Association
For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Two: Michael J. Raphael – Senior Editor of Yale Law Journal
For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Two: Carol D. Codrington – Former legal counsel for Los Angeles Public Schools; degree in Sociology
For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Two: Frank Menetrez – former juvenile court judge and editor-in-chief of UCLA Law Review
For Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Three: Kathleen E. O’Leary – not sure. Click on her info.
For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Three: William W. Bedsworth – Wikipedia says
He became a Director on the Board of National Conference of Christians and Jews and Fair Share 502 and was voted by the Hispanic Bar Association as Judge of the Year in 1997.
He spent several years as a goal judgefor the National Hockey League at all Anaheim Ducks home games and some road playoff games, and he became the subject of a story in ESPN The Magazine entitled “Justice of the Crease”.
For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Three: Maurice Sanchez – been at this a long time; Coto de Caza resident; read his decisions here
For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Three: Eileen C. Moore – served as a combat nurse in Vietnam
For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Three: Joanne Motoike: Trial attorney with United Nations
Judge of the Superior Ct Office No.30 – Vote Peggy Huang
Orange County Supervisor – Pat Bates. She’s done the job a long time and has done fine for Orange County. Her opponent will be a disaster.
YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD RACES ARE VITAL THIS YEAR!
Please check your ballot carefully. They’ll be all the way down at the end. Don’t skip this vote this year! If you don’t know your candidates, google them and vote accordingly. Even if you don’t have kids in public schools, your schools affect your community, property values and public prosperity. Please know that union candidates have been trying to steal the language of parent candidates. They may try to pass themselves off as the “parent choice” so please do your research and please don’t skip this category and please tell all of your friends. Sometimes your school board races are decided by dozens of votes. It can be a slim margin. Vote!
Track your ballots here: WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov