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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Measure A (NO)
Riverside County Sales Tax Extension (RivCo Transportation Commission)
Renews a costly sales tax with no end date, despite massive levels of wasteful spending and awarding contracts without fair and open competition.
Measure B (NO)
Beaumont Unified School District Property Tax Increase
Imposes a new costly property tax despite massive levels of wasteful spending, giving government workers massive salary hikes and pension spikes, and awarding contracts to political supporters without fair and open competition.
Measure I (NO)
Hemet Unified School District Property Tax Increase
Imposes a new costly property tax despite massive levels of wasteful spending, giving government workers massive salary hikes and pension spikes, and awarding contracts to political supporters without fair and open competition.
Measure M (NO)
Murrieta Valley Unified School District Property Tax Increase
Imposes a new costly property tax despite massive levels of wasteful spending, giving government workers massive salary hikes and pension spikes, and awarding contracts to political supporters without fair and open competition.
Measure S (NO)
Temecula Valley Unified School District Property Tax Increase
Imposes a new costly property tax despite massive levels of wasteful spending, giving government workers massive salary hikes and pension spikes, and awarding contracts to political supporters without fair and open competition.
Measure AA (NO)
Perris Union High School District Property Tax Increase
Imposes a new costly property tax despite massive levels of wasteful spending, giving government workers massive salary hikes and pension spikes, and awarding contracts to political supporters without fair and open competition.
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
Every four years voters get to decide whether to vote to retain or not retain justices to the CA Supreme Court and the six Court of Appeals.
California Supreme Court
Kelli Evans - DO NOT RETAIN
Joshua Groban - DO NOT RETAIN
4th District - California Court of Appeal Justices
Marsha Amin (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Eran M. Bermudez (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Martin N. Buchanan (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Jose S. Castillo (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Carol D. Codrington (Associate Justice) - RETAIN
William S. Dato (Associate Justice) - RETAIN
Thomas A. Delaney (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Truc T. Do (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Richard T. Fields (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Martha K. Gooding (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Julia C. Kelety (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Corey G. Lee (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Juliet O. Macaulay (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Judith McConnell (Administrative Presiding Justice) - RETAIN
Art W. McKinster (Associate Justice) - RETAIN
Frank J. Menetrez (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Douglas P. Miller (Associate Justice) - RETAIN
Eileen C. Moore (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Joanne Motoike (Presiding Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Terry B. O'Rourke (Associate Justice) - RETAIN
Manuel A. Ramirez (Presiding Justice) - RETAIN
Michael J. Raphael (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
David M. Rubin (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Maurice Sanchez (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Nathan R. Scott (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
Deborah C. Servino (Associate Justice) - DO NOT RETAIN
U.S. House of Representatives
District 23: Jay Obernolte
District 25: Joe 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
Banning
Council District 4: Richard Royce
Council District 5: Christian Villagran
Beaumont
Council Member: Lloyd White
Council Member: Mike Lara
Council Member: Jessica Raye Voigt
City Clerk: Elaine Morgan
Blythe
Council Member: Johnny Z. Rodrgiuez
Council Member: Joseph DeConinck
Council Member: Trevor Farrage
City Clerk: Mallory Crecelius
City Treasurer: Christa Elms
City of Calimesa
City Council – At Large: No Endorsement
Canyon Lake
City Council – At Large: Jeremy Smith and Paul Kakis
Cathedral City
Council District 3: Alberto Ruiz
Council District 4: Ernesto Gutierrez
Council District 5: YOU ARE DOOMED
Treasurer: YOU ARE DOOMED
City of Coachella
Mayor: YOU ARE DOOMED
Council Member: YOU ARE DOOMED
Council Member: YOU ARE DOOMED
Corona
Council District 1: Mary Limon
Council District 4: Karen Alexander
Council District 5: Wes Speake
Desert Hot Springs
District 1: YOU ARE DOOMED District 3: Jan Pye
Eastvale
Council District 1: Todd Rigby
Council District 3: Clint Lorimore
Council District 4: Sarah Oswald
Hemet
Council District 1: Constance Clarck
Council District 2: Dalila Salcido
Council District 5: James DePasse
Indian Wells
Council Member: Michael Hazelton
Council Member: Rob Zwemmer
Indio
Council District 2: YOU ARE DOOMED
Council District 3: Elaine Holmes
Council District 4: YOU ARE DOOMED
Jurupa Valley
Council District 1: YOU ARE DOONED
Council District 3 Brian Berkson
Council District 5: YOU ARE DOOMED
Lake Elsinore
Council District 1: Brian Tisdale
Council District 3: Timothy J. Sheridan
Council District 4: Michael Carroll
La Quinta
Mayor: Linda Evans
Council Member: Deborah McGarrey
Council Member: John Peña
Council District 2: YOU ARE DOOMED
Council District 4: Frank Sandoval
Menifee
Council District 2: YOU ARE DOOMED
Council District 4: Frank Sandoval
Moreno Valley
Mayor: Vanessa Moore
Council District 2: David Zeitz
Council District 4: YOU ARE DOOMED
Murrieta
Council District 1: Jon Levell
Council District 2: Ron Holliday
Council District 5: Cindy Warren
Palm Desert
Council District 4: Evan Trubee
Council District 5: John Greenwood
Palm Springs
Council District 1: YOU ARE DOOMED
Council District 2: YOU ARE DOOMED
Council District 3: YOU ARE DOOMED
Perris
Council District 1: YOU ARE DOOMED
Council District 3: YOU ARE DOOMED
City Clerk: YOU ARE DOOMED
Rancho Mirage
Council Member: YOU ARE DOOMED
Council Member: YOU ARE DOOMED
Council Member: YOU ARE DOOMED
Riverside
Ward 2: YOU ARE DOOMED
Ward 4: Chuck Conder
San Jacinto
Council Member: Valerie Vandever
Council Member: YOU ARE DOOMED
Temecula
Council District 5: Russell Shirley
Wildomar
Council District 5: Ashley De Phillippo
Alvord Unified School District
Trustee Area 4: Jamie Walden
Beaumont Unified School District
Trustee Area 2: Jeff Brown
Trustee Area 3: YOU ARE DOOMED
Trustee Area 4: Melissa Williamson
Coachella Valley Unified School District
Trustee Area 1: Norma Flores Rivera
Trustee Area 1: YOU ARE DOOMED
Corona - Norco Unified School District
Trustee Area 2: Christopher Raahauge
Hemet Unified School District
Trustee Area 5: Kenneth Prado
Trustee Area 7: No Endorsement
Jurupa Unified School District
Trustee Area 1: No Endorsement
Trustee Area 3: Emmanuel Suarez
Trustee Area 5: Lorena Lopez
Lake Elsinore Unified School District
Trustee Area 3: Heidi Dodd
Menifee Union School District
Trustee Area 3 Kyle Root
Moreno Valley Unified School District
Trustee Area 3: No endorsement
Trustee Area 4: No endorsement
Murrieta Valley Unified School District
Trustee Area 1 Nick Pardue
Trustee Area 2 Courtney Thouvenell
Nuview Union School District
Trustee Area 1: No endorsement
Trustee Area 3: No endorsement
Trustee Area 4: No endorsement
Palm Springs Unified School District
Trustee Area 4: YOU ARE DOOMED
Trustee Area 5: YOU ARE DOOMED
Palo Verde Unified School District
Candidate: Irene Esquibel
Candidate: Alfonso Sonny Rodriguez
Perris Union High School District
Trustee Area 1 Steve Campos
Riverside Unified School District
Trustee Area 1 Duffy Atkinson
Romoland School District
Trustee Area 1: Cynthia Navarro
Trustee Area 3: Lisa Tangler
Trustee Area 5: YOU ARE DOOMED
Temecula Valley Unified School District
Trustee Area 2: Brian Emmert
Trustee Area 3: Ronda Bowen
Trustee Area 4: Joseph Komrosky
Val Verde Unified School District
Trustee Area 4: No endorsement
Trustee Area 5: No endorsement
Colton Joint Unified School District
Trustee Area 1: YOU ARE DOOMED
Trustee Area 2: YOU ARE DOOMED
Trustee Area 3: YOU ARE DOOMED
Desert Community College District
Trustee Area 1: No Endorsement
Trustee Area 4: No Endorsement
Mt. San Jacinto Community College District
Trustee Area 3: Vicki Carpenter
Palo Verde Community College District
Trustee Area 1: No Endorsement
Riverside Community College District
No Endorsements
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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