PROPOSITION 218 DILUTES VOTING RIGHTS, HURTS LOCAL SERVICES
In the disguise of tax reform, Proposition 218's Constitutional Amendment REDUCES YOUR VOTING POWER and gives huge voting power to corporations, foreign interests and wealthy land owners.
It cuts police, fire, library, park, senior, and disabled services and diverts funds needed for classroom-size reductions.
Read Proposition 218 carefully--it's a wolf, not a lamb!
YOU LOSE RIGHTS; CORPORATIONS, DEVELOPERS, NON-CITIZENS GAIN VOTING POWER
Section 4(e) of Proposition 218 changes the Constitution to give corporations, wealthy landowners and developers MORE VOTING POWER THAN HOMEOWNERS. It lets large outside interests control community taxes--against the will of local citizens.
EXAMPLE: An oil company owns 1000 acres, you own one acre; the oil corporation gets 1000 times more voting power than you.
While Prop. 218 gives voting power to outside interests, Section 4(g) denies voting rights to more than 3,000,000 California renters.
Reducing American citizens' Constitutional rights, it grants voting rights to corporations and absentee landowners--even foreign citizens.
EXAMPLE: A shopping center owned by a foreign citizen is worth 100 times as much as your home; that person gets 100 times more voting power than you!
Every citizen should have the right to vote if a community is voting on local assessments for police, fire, emergency medical and library programs. It's unfair to give voting power to non-citizens, big landowners and developers, yet deny it to millions of Californians.
MAY CUT LOCAL POLICE, FIRE PROTECTION
Section 6(b)(5) eliminates vital funding sources for local police, fire, emergency medical and library services.
Proposition 218 goes too far--may forbid emergency assessments for earthquakes, floods and fires.
Don't handcuff police and firefighters. The California Police Chiefs Association, Fire Chiefs Association and California Professional Firefighters ask you to vote NO.
The impartial Legislative Analyst's report shows how Proposition 218 could impede LifeLine support for the elderly and disabled. It prohibits seniors and disabled from receiving needed utility services unless they pay all costs themselves.
Proposition 218 cuts more than $100 million from local services, yet wastes tens of millions each year by changing the Constitution to require 5,000 local elections even if local citizens don't want an election . . . even if the election cost is more than the potential revenue.
MAKES SCHOOL CROWDING WORSE
California teachers oppose Proposition 218 because Section 4(a) imposes a new tax on public school property, diverting millions from classroom programs to pay for non-school expenses. California already has the most crowded classrooms in America (dead last of 50 states). Proposition 218 makes school crowding worse.
SHELL GAME
This measure takes a few good ideas, but twists and perverts them. It cripples the best local services and puts more power into the hands of special interests and non-citizens.
Proposition 218 goes too far. Assessment laws DO need improvement, but Proposition 218 is the wrong way to do it. It does more harm than good, restricting our voting rights, hurting schools, seniors and public safety programs.
Please vote NO on Proposition 218.
CHIEF RON LOWENBERG
President, California Police Chiefs' Association
CHIEF JEFF BOWMAN
President, California Fire Chiefs' Association