DONNELLY: Vote ‘No’ on Almost Everything in California

Everyone is putting out a voter guide about now, but I won’t be advising you on any candidates. If you’re not smart enough to vote against Hillary Clinton and all the other Marxist-Progressives parading as Democrats, you probably shouldn’t be voting at all.

However, with the myriad of California ballot propositions, there’s always more than meets the eye. Many of these issues were debated in the legislature while I was an Assemblyman, so I may be able to provide some insight.

I hope you find this helpful. Please feel free to share it. And be sure not only to vote, but to make sure everyone in your circle votes, and also please take a moment to pray for our nation’s future.

Prop 51 NO – This is being sold as an $8 billion school bond, but when all the interest is paid over the next few decades, it will be closer to $18 billion. It won’t help our failing schools, which have become indoctrination instead of learning centers. It’s simply a payoff to the massive public sector unions and the huge, politically-connected contractors who live off government contracts.

Prop 52 NO – This whole thing is just a scam. It is supposed to take money from hospitals, which are required to pay a fee, which will be matched with federal funds to provide health coverage for the uninsured. In reality, this is just a scheme to pay for health care for llegal aliens at the emergency room, since Sacramento passed a law allowing them to sign up for Medi-Cal, but never figured out how to pay for it.

Prop 53 NO – This seems like a good idea, and is sponsored by people I respect, including Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. The goal was to require a statewide vote of approval before any bonds can be sold for projects over $2 billion that are part of a what is called a joint powers agreement (JPA), in hopes of shutting down funding for projects like the California High-Speed Rail and Delta Tunnels. A good idea — but it has unintended consequences. It will allow voters in Los Angeles and San Francisco and all over the state to decide whether or not a bond passes — one that you may have to pay back in your county — but not them. So, why should anyone who won’t have to pay back the bond have a say over whether or not it passes?

Prop 54 YES – This requires that state legislation be posted online at least 72 hours before a vote can be taken, which will keep the public informed and make it harder for politicians to increase taxes without the public knowing. Some conservatives oppose this measure because it is funded by Charles Munger, Jr., who many believe is the devil incarnate. Literally. He bought the Republican party for $3 million a few years back (bailing them out of debt), and spends almost all of his contributions on liberals and leftists, while opposing conservative candidates. In fact, he spent $450K suppressing my vote in the governor’s race, supporting a Democrat (Kashkari) to become the Republican nominee—who then quietly lost to Jerry Brown without any evidence of a fight. In spite of the fact that this proposition may be financed by the devil, this is an idea that was championed within the legislature by the most conservative analysts, whom I deeply respect. So I’m voting for it.

Prop 55 NO – This is 2012’s Prop 30 on steroids. It extends the so-called temporary tax increase on “the rich” (meaning on business owners and others making over $250,000 per year) until 2030, instead of letting it expire in 2019. The goal is to steal $12 billion more over 12 years. The result will be to drive even more businesses, jobs, and high wage-earners — who pay most of the tax burden — out of the state.

Prop 56 NO – Cigarettes cost a fortune. Most of that cost is already taxation — and yet people still smoke. I doubt this will have the desired effect, but it will give the government a bigger bite out of smokers’ wallets, funding yet even more government growth — and likely cause even more to buy on the black market as sales are driven underground. I think we need to cut off the government from getting any new revenue sources because, in the end, they use that money to grow their ranks, giving them more and more control over our lives.

Prop 57 NO – Gov. Jerry Brown is addicted to early release programs. Maybe it has something to do with his passion to give felons the right to vote. AB109 has put so many dangerous criminals back on the streets and overwhelmed our local jails that this latest dangerous scheme is a definite no. I’m all for putting fewer people in jail, and not using government to save people from their own behavior, but this would reclassify many violent crimes as non-violent, putting dangerous offenders back on the streets. Combined with the obsession Democrats have with taking guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens, and further restricting concealed carry permits, this will increase public danger, not make our communities safer.

Prop 58 NO – This is just bilingual education resurrected, which was already resoundingly rejected in Prop 227 (overwhelmingly approved by Californians). Once again, it is an admission that the number of non-English speaking “immigrants” in our schools is reaching epidemic proportions in some areas. Teaching kids in a foreign language will not improve their command of English — which is still necessary for success in this country.

Prop 59 NO – This bill is a massive waste of taxpayer resources in order to promote leftists’ favorite power grab. By limiting corporate donations to super PACs, the goal is to silence conservatives while protecting the rights of the left’s massive powerful special interest-of-choice: unions.

Prop 60 NO – Requires adult film actors to wear condoms. If they’re not smart enough to protect themselves, it is certainly not the government’s job to protect them from themselves. This will simply create another bureaucracy and increase pension and other liabilities as the new “condom police” agency unionizes and demands higher pay and benefits.

Prop 61 NO – This bill is a feel-good bill that, in the end, will hurt the veterans, as their prescription prices will go up — all to benefit a tiny percentage of Californians at our expense.

Prop 62 NO – This bill eliminates the death penalty.

Prop 63 HELL NO – This abomination furthers the left’s goal of fully rescinding the Seconnd Amendment by, among other things, requiring a permit and a background check to buy ammunition, outlawing the possession of legally purchased high-capacity magazines, and whole bunch of other terrible assaults on our natural, God-given right to defend our lives and our freedom from tyranny.

Prop 64 NO – This will legalize marijuana for those over 21. Although marijuana legalization is likely inevitable in California, this bill does not adequately address a number of serious issues raised in creating an effective regulatory scheme.

Prop 65 NO – This bill will require that money collected from the government-mandated sale of carryout bags go to environmental projects, but only if Proposition 67 (the plastic bag ban) is upheld.

Prop 66 YES – This will make the death penalty more effective by putting a five-year time limit on the appeal process for someone given the death penalty. If the sentence is not overturned within five years, it is then carried out.

Prop 67 NO – This bill would ban plastic bags statewide and require retailers to charge for re-usable carryout bags. Why should government decide that you can no longer choose paper or plastic? Vote no and tell the government to stop micro-managing our lives by eliminating choice! (This is a referendum put on the ballot to allow the people to weigh in on the statewide plastic bag ban that became law while I was still in the building).