Liberation News CA Voter Recommendations

(Photo: Protest Against Schwarzenegger's Proposed Cuts to the Sick and Disabled, Photo by Liberation News)

Liberation News Voter Recommendations for June 8, 2010
Part 1, the Ballot Propositions

Every couple years the American people are subjected to the farce of bourgeois democracy, a “democracy” where only the candidates chosen by the very wealthy have any chance of being elected. That season of nicely dressed pathological liars and false hopes is now coming upon us once again.

Since the corporate media of the United States has long ago abandoned any semblance of reporting on anything of substance about candidates such as voting records, third parties, actual political views, and the true meaning of propositions, it is up to the journalists of the left press to do so.

Register to Vote by May 24, 2010

While Liberation News has no illusions in bourgeois democracy, a system where bourgeois parties, the corporate media, and major contributions currently dominate the entire discussion, the act of voting for leftist, nominally socialist candidates registers our protest, helps keep leftists on the ballot for future elections to better participate in future debates, and helps remind people that we are still here. In addition, votes on ballot initiatives can be of some importance, but like votes for candidates, it is an almost entirely bourgeois dominated process as well with large amounts of money normally needed to hire the workers necessary to get any proposition on the ballot.

Real politics in America are done in the streets and have usually been led by socialist groups. This is the case from the mass strikes of the 1930s and 40s to the black liberation movement and the anti-Vietnam War movement which also buoyed the women’s rights movement, the BGLT movement, and the environmental movement. Organized militant action, especially by the working class or soldiers, are what it takes to bring change. But to promote this kind of action, it doesn’t hurt to put socialist candidates on the ballot who are promoting the next big struggles of the working class, soldiers, and students in this country. By doing so we create another opportunity to intervene in the political discussion on a level where many people first begin to question their role in politics.

Likewise, it is an opportunity expose the political bankruptcy of our current union leaders in giving our union dues to the Democrat Party. The Democrats are generally just as anti-worker and pro-capitalist as the Republicans; they just have nicer sounding words when they carry out their attacks on us. For real change, a start would be for the unions to stop giving away our union dues to the Democrats and instead put our money into strike funds to fight for both immediate on the job demands and broader political demands like socialized health care, U.S. troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, the repeal of Arizona’s racist anti-immigrant law, and freedom for political prisoners. Socialist candidates in elections, exposing Democrats for what they are, can only help in this process.

With that said; elections in the United States, always rigged by big money, are increasingly rigged with electoral fraud being carried out with voting machines as well. Electronic voting machines are the most expensive solution ever developed for a problem that never existed. We must demand an end to all electronic voting machines, paper ballots for every single ballot cast, and election observers watching all counts in every precinct. In addition, there may well come a time when, if it has public support, a mass strike and public boycott of fraudulent elections is in order.

Ballot Propositions:

Proposition 13, Vote No

This new Proposition 13 tinkers with the old Proposition 13. The old one cut taxes for the rich and has contributed to state budget shortfalls for needed programs like education and assistance for the disabled. This bill will give tax breaks to big corporations that retrofit for earthquakes. Homeowners will also be beneficiaries of tax breaks. The old Proposition 13 strictly limits new taxes on property by forcing an undemocratic 2/3rds majority vote in both state houses in order to raise property taxes. While corporations and property owners got a tax cut with the old Prop 13, and would with the new Prop 13 as well; renters continue to pay an unfair burden of a very high percentage of our income to help property owners pay off the mortgages on the land we live on. Currently, only 13 municipalities have rent control for apartments in the state of California.

Proposition 13 goes in the wrong direction. Instead, Liberation News says: Repeal the old Proposition 13 to better fund needed social programs! No to further cuts in property taxes for corporations with the new Proposition 13! Instead of giving landlords more tax breaks, nationalize the greedy price gouging landlords! No on Proposition 13!

Proposition 14, Vote No

Proposition 14 basically eliminates political parties in the elections by giving the two highest vote getters in the primaries the only slots on the November ballot. This will eliminate the ability of “third” parties to participate in California’s November elections, making the system even less democratic. This will, for the most part, remove smaller working class parties from the political debate of the November elections.

For a more democratic society the opposite of Proposition 14 is in fact needed, that is proportional representation, where a state parliament would have its party composition decided by the percentage of the vote each party receives. For instance, a party that gets 3% of the vote would get 3% of the seats in a parliament of 100 seats. This would give the left at least some representation in a system dominated by big money. While proportional representation does not resolve the fact that things like big money and the corporate media control the so-called democracy under capitalism, it does open up the democratic debate a little. Proposition 14 goes in the opposite direction. No on Proposition 14! Yes to Proportional Representation; Towards Socialist Workers’ Democracy!

Proposition 15, Vote No

This bill would overturn the statewide ban on public financing of election campaigns. Pluses to the proposition include the fact that its revenues are raised by taxing lobbyists, there would be strict limits on spending for candidates who agree to public financing, and the statewide ban on public financing of campaigns in non-chartered cities would be lifted.

While this bill would begin the public financing of political campaigns, a concept that could theoretically limit the role of big money in politics, this bill forces candidates to gain a $5 contribution with each of the 7500 signatures of registered voters required by each candidate. Campaigns without a large number of employees or volunteers would not be able to make these goals. Meanwhile, the Democrats and Republicans will be able to hire employees to make the goal and obtain these funds. While public financing of elections could undermine the power of the wealthy in elections somewhat, this proposition’s high requirements for approval would not achieve that goal. Instead, the status quo will be maintained with the entrenched ruling parties getting public financing and third parties left out in the cold, once again, as is already the case. No on Proposition 15! For campaign financing in reach of working class campaigns!

Proposition 16, Vote No

This is a bill heavily financed by PG&E with the purpose of preventing municipalities from developing publicly owned (socialized) power. Cities that currently have publicly owned power, like LA, are able to provide it for cheaper than privately owned companies are able to do, due to the fact that the legalized corruption under capitalism, called corporate profit, is eliminated with public ownership. Not only are they able to provide power for cheaper, the public has some control over how it is run. In LA this meant the public was able to put shutting down their dangerous nuclear power plants on the ballot, which they did, and shut down those plants with majority voter approval. Public ownership is cheaper and more democratic. No on Proposition 16! Socialize PG&E without compensation!

Proposition 17, Vote No

This proposition will allow the insurance companies to make more money from their customers by allowing them to raise the rates of anyone who goes 90 days without insurance. A person who doesn’t need a car for that period of time, perhaps they got by with a bike or public transportation or simply couldn’t afford a car or did not drive their car, should not be punished for not having insurance during that period of time. Nor should anyone else seeking insurance. This proposition was paid for by Mercury Insurance in their hopes of legalizing another form of price gouging. No on Proposition 17! Socialize Mercury Insurance without compensation!

In Summary, Liberation News Recommends:

Proposition 13, Vote No
Proposition 14, Vote No
Proposition 15, Vote No
Proposition 16, Vote No
Proposition 17, Vote No

Part 2 will cover the party primaries and the candidates.

Subscribe Free to Liberation News:
https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/liberation_news

Donate to Liberation News by sending checks to P.O. Box 3020, Santa Cruz California, 95062 with checks payable to the “Revolutionary League for a Workers’ Party”.

Liberation News expresses the positions of the League for a Revolutionary Workers’ Party. Join us. Write: SteveArgue2 [at] yahoo.com