Honest Ballots(sm) refers to the manner in which the county registrar of voters prints the ballot question (a.k.a., ballot label) on the ballot for local measures submitted to the voters.
The Elections Code sections in Chapter 2 of Division 13 (beginning with section 13100) determine what is printed on the ballot. Consequently, if a statute does not specify it, it is not allowed.
The law requires honest ballots. The registrar has a mandatory ministerial duty to produce honest ballots. The registrar willfully neglects that duty. Consequently, the registrar produces dishonest ballots, at least for local measures.
Many of these measures do not conform to the requirements of the sections in Chapter 2. To simplify it, the focus of this voter guide is on section 13119 (the ballot question). If the ballot question does not conform, the effect is that the government is taking sides in the election using public moneys (your taxes). This violates your rights under the constitution.
Therefore, we recommend that, no matter how good or bad you believe the policy underlying the measure is, that you vote no. This is a principled vote against the government cheating to win an election using the ballot.
Click on the Measure letter (school bonds only) for a detailed analysis of the school bond fraud.
Why would anyone with school-aged children send their children to a government school where the people who run the schools lie and cheat? Just asking.
In this period just before the end of election month, agencies with measures on the ballot are likely to be conducting "informational" activities on public property. This is especially true of school and college districts. We just published an article about this subject (WARNING: Using School Property (Resources) to Promote Bond Measure Is Criminal). It not only points out the illegality of much of the activities, but more importantly shows how you can take advantage of it, if you know the law.
Many people find our district-specific opposition pages. Few connect. That's a shame. While you may satisfy your need for reasons to know how you should cast your vote, you miss out on connecting, not only with us, but with all the others in your district.
If you know of a "No" campaign that has a web site (domain) or a blog or a web page, we will link to it from the voter guide. Sorry, but we do not link to social media accounts, such as those on Facebook or X (Twitter). To add a link please text #HonestBallots, county, measure letter, and the URL to 909-378-5401.
Today we received a message from a bond supporter in Monterey County.
We usually don't reply because of the amount of time involved in responding to the propaganda voters have been fed. In general, supporters have been brainwashed or have something to gain from a school bond passing.
The lady who wrote asked us "what have you done in the way of researching a solution for our local schools that desperately need the funding?" (The old "shift the burden" stratagem. How is this our job?) She wanted us "to offer a community-based solution on how to upgrade our local schools." If you're familiar with Newspeak, you'll understand the added adjective preceding "solution." "Desperately" means that the district officials have misspent all their sources of funding in favor of themselves, rather than the "community." By that we mean the superintendent pulls in over $200K, almost all the teachers get well over $100K and even the bus drivers are pulling in $85K. (Remember, teachers work about 185 days a year, not 250 days (5 days x 50 weeks) like us working-class stiffs.) The district has four K-8 schools in a non-wealthy area. Total enrollment has declined about 17% in the last four years.
Our message (about 20 minutes long) was recorded on October 11, 2015. Today is October 11, 2024. We thought it unusually serendipitous and synchronisticly Jungian at the same time. So here it is. Nine years ago we were focused on the constitutional language of Proposition 39. We haven't abandoned that thinking, but we subsequently recognized that voters almost never read the measure and most don't even know that California has a constitution. They do, however, read the ballot label.
To improve the quality of education; modernize outdated classrooms and school facilities; replace leaky roofs; and make safety improvements at drop-off and pickup areas; shall the measure authorizing [school district name] to issue $18,200,000 of bonds at legal rates, generating on average $1.08 million annually as long as bonds are outstanding at approximately $19 per $100,000 assessed value, be adopted, with annual audits, independent citizens' oversight committee, no money for salaries and all money staying local?
We redacted the school district name in part to demonstrate how generic school bond measure ballot labels have become. It's plain and simple cheating -- the government taking sides in the election using tax dollars -- on the ballot. This is a product of the moral relativism driven by constant government and media-entertainment complex propaganda. "It's ok to cheat for a good cause." Sorry, Charlie! It's wrong to cheat working-class voters (the rich ones don't send their kids to government schools) out of their sustenance.
You can see the complete web site on which this recording was posted here.
The rest of the story: The district lost the election by 72 votes.
By the way, every opposition page is set up to display video and audio recordings. Just create one and send us the link to play it on the page.
| Courtesy of California School Bonds Clearinghouse Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. |
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| Measure | Agency | Type | Question | Bond Amount | Tax Rate | Tax |
| C | City of Albany | parcel tax | Shall a measure to impose a special parcel tax on ... $392,282 annually, until June 30, 2035, be adopted? | -- | $0.017/lot sqft | $392,282 |
| K | San Joaquin Delta CCD | Prop 39 bond | DELTA COLLEGE JOB TRAINING, REPAIR, AFFORDABLE EDUCATION ... control, oversight, audits, spending disclosure? | $598,000,000 | $16.00 | $1,183,000,000 |
| L | Albany City Unified | Prop 39 bond | To improve and construct safe, modern classrooms, ... independent oversight, audits and all funds staying local? | $63,800,000 | $60.00 | $130,535,000 |
| M | Fremont Unified | Prop 39 bond | To repair/upgrade local schools by updating classrooms/ ... audits, and no money for administrators' salaries? | $919,000,000 | $49.00 | $2,000,000,000 |
| N | New Haven Unified | Prop 39 bond | New Haven Unified School District Classroom, ... administrator salaries, and funds used locally? | $272,000,000 | $60.00 | $566,500,000 |
| O | Newark Unified | Prop 39 bond | To update schools for 21st century learning, classrooms/ ... oversight, annual audits and no funds for administrators? | $205,000,000 | $50.00 | $411,346,651 |
| P | Piedmont City Unified | parcel tax | To attract and retain highly qualified teachers ... citizen oversight and all money locally controlled? | -- | $0.50/sqft on improvements | $50,000,000 |
| Q | San Lorenzo Unified | Prop 39 bond | To modernize/construct classrooms and school facilities; ... oversight, annual audits, and all money staying local? | $195,000,000 | $60.00 | $409,200,000 |
| R | City of Albany | business license tax | To fund local tenant rental assistance programs, ... $475,000 annually until ended by voters, be adopted? | -- | 0.36% on gross receipts (lt 4 units); 1% (5+ units) | $475,000 |
| S | City of Albany | charter | Shall the City Charter of Albany be amended to delegate ... authority for organizing the City to the City Manager? | -- | ||
| T | City of Albany | charter | Shall the City Charter of Albany be amended to eliminate ... bond before entering upon their official duties? | -- | ||
| U | City of Albany | charter | Shall the City Charter of Albany be amended to remove ... direct taxation or (ii) the statutory maximum amount? | -- | ||
| V | City of Albany | charter | Shall the City Charter of Albany be amended to allow ... Charter language about former elected officers? | -- | ||
| W | City of Berkeley | property transfer tax | Shall the measure effective January 1, 2027, setting ... $2M - $4M annually, until repealed, be adopted? | -- | 2.5% over $1.6M, 3% over $1.9M, 3.5% over $3.0M | $4,000,000 |
| X | City of Berkeley | parcel tax | Shall the measure creating a special parcel tax ... units and $0.4233 for other properties, be adopted? | -- | $0.06/sqft dwellings; $0.09/sqft other | $5,600,000 |
| Y | City of Berkeley | parcel tax | Shall the measure increasing the rate of the City's ... until amended or repealed by voters, be adopted? | -- | $0.2652 +inflation | $22,000,000 |
| Z | City of Berkeley | beverage tax | Shall the measure to remove the current January ... per year for general government use, be adopted? | -- | 1 cent/floz | $1,150,000 |
| AA | City of Berkeley | Gann limit | Shall the City's appropriation limit under Article ... already- approved taxes for FY 2025 through 2028. | -- | ||
| BB | City of Berkeley | rent control | Shall the measure to use existing revenue to fund ... notice to new tenants of their rights, be adopted? | -- | ||
| CC | City of Berkeley | rent control | Shall the measure to use existing revenue to create ... certain powers from the Rent Board, be adopted? | -- | ||
| DD | City of Berkeley | charter | Shall the measure prohibiting the establishment ... City Council or by private lawsuit, be adopted? | -- | ||
| EE | City of Berkeley | parcel tax | Shall the measure creating a special parcel tax ... repair at levels established in 2022, be adopted? | -- | $0.13/sqft improvements +inflation | $10,500,000 |
| FF | City of Berkeley | parcel tax | Shall the measure creating a special parcel tax ... for street maintenance is maintained, be adopted? | -- | $0.17/sqft dwellings; $0.25/sqft other improvements | $15,000,000 |
| GG | City of Berkeley | utility users tax | Shall the measure adopting a tax of $2.9647/therm ... its expiration in December 31, 2050, be adopted? | -- | $2,9647/therm on gas usage +inflation +6% | $26,700,000 |
| HH | City of Berkeley | air quality | Shall the measure setting new indoor air quality ... right to sue over alleged violations, be adopted? | -- | ||
| II | City of Dublin | land use | Dublin Traffic Relief, Clean Air/Open Space Preservation ... commercial development on the adjacent 80 acres? | -- | ||
| JJ | City of Dublin | term limits | GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY ACT. Shall the ... contracts on the City's website for public review? | -- | ||
| K1 | City of Hayward | transactions and use tax | To continue providing essential City of Hayward ... annual audits and public disclosure, be adopted? | -- | 1/2 cent | $20,000,000 |
| LL | City of Newark | transient occupancy tax | To maintain local services/ facilities, such as: ... Sacramento, including independent citizen oversight? | -- | from 10% to 14% | $2,100,000 |
| MM | City of Oakland Wildfire Prevention Zone | parcel tax | Shall the measure levying a special tax for 20 years ... increases, citizens' oversight and audits, be adopted? | -- | $99.00/single-family; $65.00/multi- +col | $2,670,000 |
| NN | City of Oakland | parcel tax | Shall the measure to: (1) fund Citywide violence ... annually, with oversight and auditing, be adopted? | -- | $198.00/single-family; 10% parking | $47,400,000 |
| OO | City of Oakland | charter | Shall a measure amending the City Charter and Oakland ... incurred by local government lobbyists, be adopted? | -- | ||
| PP | City of Pleasanton | transactions and use tax | PLEASANTON ESSENTIAL SERVICES PROTECTION MEASURE. ... spending disclosure, and oversight, be adopted? | -- | 1/2 cent | $10,000,000 |
| City of Union City | business license tax | Union City Essential Services Protection Measure. ... public spending disclosure/ independent audits? | -- | 0.25% on gross receipts | $3,500,000 | |
| RM4 | Bay Area Regional Housing Finance Authority | Prop 5 bond | BAY AREA AFFORDABILITY PLAN. To address housing ... independent audits/citizen oversight, be adopted? | $20,000,000,000 | $19.00 | $48,000,000,000 |
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