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 |
| A | Monterey Peninsula Unified | Prop 39 bond | To upgrade/repair schools and classrooms for science, ... funds for administrators, all for local schools? | $340,000,000 | $50.00 | $694,000,000 |
| B | Pacific Grove Unified | Prop 39 bond | With no projected increase to current tax rates, ... spending with funds that cannot be spent elsewhere? | $78,000,000 | $37.49 | $142,100,000 |
| C | West Hills CCD SFID #2 | Prop 39 bond | To improve Coalinga College with funds that cannot ... oversight and full public disclosure of all spending? | $19,000,000 | $25.00 | $32,000,000 |
| D | Aromas-San Juan Unified | Prop 39 bond | With funds that cannot be taken by the State and ... oversight, and full public disclosure of spending? | $44,000,000 | $60.00 | $77,900,000 |
| E | Soledad Unified | Prop 39 bond | With funds that cannot be taken by the State and ... oversight and full public disclosure of all spending? | $42,000,000 | $60.00 | $78,500,000 |
| G | Salinas Union High | Prop 39 bond | SALINAS UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT REPAIR, STUDENT ... requiring annual independent audits/citizens' oversight? | $115,000,000 | $19.00 | $241,500,000 |
| H | South Monterey County Joint Union High | Prop 39 bond | HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMIC/ JOB TRAINING CLASSROOM ... local schools, requiring citizen oversight/ audits? | $35,000,000 | $30.00 | $76,000,000 |
| I | South Monterey County Joint Union High | Prop 39 bond | HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SAFETY/REPAIR MEASURE. ... local schools, requiring citizen oversight/audits? | $35,000,000 | $30.00 | $76,000,000 |
| J | Chualar Union | Prop 39 bond | To improve the quality of education; repair leaky ... audits, and no money for administrators' salaries? | $5,600,000 | $30.00 | $10,954,000 |
| K | King City Union | Prop 39 bond | Renovations Bond. With funds that cannot ... of spending, and no projected increase in taxes? | $19,800,000 | $30.00 | $38,300,000 |
| L | King City Union | Prop 39 bond | Safety/Classroom Technology Bond. With funds ... of spending and no projected increase in taxes? | $21,600,000 | $30.00 | $43,500,000 |
| M | Pajaro Valley Unified | Prop 39 bond | With funds that cannot be taken by the State and ... state matching funds and full public disclosure? | $315,000,000 | $60.00 | $556,452,817 |
| N | Mission Union Elementary | Prop 39 bond | To improve the quality of local schools; construct, ... money for salaries and all money staying local? | $1,500,000 | $30.00 | $3,415,820 |
| O | Spreckels Union Elementary | Prop 39 bond | Spreckels Union School District Classroom Repair, ... public spending disclosure, funds for local schools? | $27,000,000 | $30.00 | $53,297,200 |
| P | Washington Union Elementary | Prop 39 bond | "To improve the quality of education; modernize ... money for salaries and all money staying local?" | $18,200,000 | $19.00 | $36,800,000 |
| Q | City of Pacific Grove | charter | Shall Chapter 23.45 of the Pacific Grove Municipal ... prohibited timeshare project; and other related changes? | -- | ||
| R | City of Del Rey Oaks | transient occupancy tax | Shall the measure to protect city services including ... independent audits, until ended by voters, be adopted? | -- | 4% incr. | $60,000 |
| S | City of Gonzales | transactions and use tax | City of Gonzales 2024 Transactions and Use Tax. ... committee oversight and annual audits, be adopted? | -- | 1/2 cent | $800,000 |
| T | City of King | transactions and use tax | Shall the measure increasing the City of King's ... audits, and expiration in 12 years, be adopted? | -- | 1/2 cent incr. | $1,200,000 |
| U | City of Marina | Prop 5 bond | MARINA 911 EMERGENCY RESPONSE, SAFETY, ESSENTIAL ... public spending disclosure, all funds spent locally? | $50,000,000 | $83.94 | $98,912,943 |
| V | City of Monterey | charter | City Charter Clerical Corrections and Clarifications. ... and removing other Library employees, be adopted? | -- | ||
| W | City of Monterey | charter | Councilmember Filing as Candidate for Mayor. ... regarding the Mayor and City Councilmembers, be adopted? | -- | ||
| X | City of Monterey | term limits | Mayor and City Councilmember Term Limits. ... Councilmember, or combination of both offices, be adopted? | -- | ||
| Y | City of Monterey | charter | Leases of Real Property. Shall the measure ... rates that serve the community benefit, be adopted? | -- | ||
| Z | City of Pacific Grove | charter | Shall the Pacific Grove City Charter be amended ... quorum, majority vote and other select actions? | -- | ||
| AA | County Of Monterey (Unincorporated Area) | transactions and use tax | To fund critical County of Monterey services, including ... to be spent locally only, until ended by voters? | -- | 1 cent | $29,000,000 |
| BB | City of Seaside | charter | ... | -- | ||
| CC | City of Seaside | charter | SEASIDE SAFE AND SANE FIREWORKS BAN Shall ... fireworks, including safe and sane fireworks, be adopted? | -- | ||
| DD | Monterey County Regional Fire Protection District | cannabis business tax repeal | Shall Measure H, the Monterey County Regional Fire ... materials incidents and other emergencies, be repealed? | -- | ||
| EE | North County Public Recreation District | parcel tax | Shall the measure to provide clean, safe parks for ... $300,000.00 per year, unless ended by voters, be adopted? | -- | $82.00 | $300,000 |
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