Regular readers may remember that Citizens Journal publishes candidate/propositionÂ
endorsements/recommendations from as many different sources as we can find for Ventura County voters and some for LA and Santa Barbara Counties, since 25% of our readers now live there. Here’s the collection for the 2020 general election. We’ll update it as we get more! Our committees are still working on some local elections. Tell us what we missed and where to find it! Put your own recommendations in reader comments and specify why. Try to stick to facts.
AD 44 Pedrow-R v. Irwin(i)-DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Democrat: 43.1%,  Republican: 28.8%,  No Party Preference: 21.9%Â
Another difficult, but potential opportunity to defeat an anti-gun incumbent. Reps are trying to flip this seat.
Ballot initiative recommendations from the Ventura County Taxpayer’s AssociationÂ
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No on 14
Why we’re against it
In 2004, California voters authorized $3 billion in bonds to create and fund the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to support stem cell research. The money is gone and the CIRM wants voters to approve another $7.8 billion including interest.
Today, there are billions of venture capital and corporate dollars actively seeking to invest in stem cell research, thereby negating the proponents’ arguments that $5.5 billion is required to fund the CIRM’s efforts and overhead for the next 15 years.  Ventura County Taxpayers Association (VCTA) opposes this measure. VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 14.
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No on 15
Why we’re against it
This is the treacherous “split roll” property tax, a direct attack on Proposition 13. Proposition 15 would repeal part of Prop. 13 and require reassessment to market value of business properties.Â
It would raise taxes on supermarkets, shopping malls, office buildings, factories, movie theaters, hotels, restaurants, sports stadiums, warehouses, self-storage facilities, major retailers and other businesses where Californians work or shop. Even the smallest businesses that lease space will face higher rents, or will have to pay the higher property taxes as part of their “triple net” lease agreement. Those higher costs are passed on to consumers.Â
Proposition 15 would raise prices, increase the cost of living and put countless jobs at risk as companies cut back or leave the state. The proponents of this measure are seeking to weaken Proposition 13, and we can guess why. They could come after homeowners next. Ventura County Taxpayers Association urges you to Protect Prop. 13. VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 15.
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No on 18
Why we’re against it
Proposition 18 would change the voting age in California to allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries and special elections if they will turn 18 by the date of the next general election.Â
While some states allow this, California is different from other states because under Prop. 13 and Prop. 218, tax increases must go on the ballot for voter approval. These proposed tax increases are frequently on primary and special election ballots.Â
Proposition 18 would allow high school students to vote on tax increases. This is unwise. The voting age in California should not be changed. VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 18.
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No on 19
Why we’re against it
Proposition 19 takes away important taxpayer protections that have been enshrined in the State Constitution since 1986. That’s when 76% of voters approved Proposition 58 to allow parents to transfer a home and limited other property to their children without an increase in property taxes.Â
Proposition 19 eliminates Proposition 58 and a similar measure, Proposition 193, which gives the same protection to transfers between grandparents and grandchildren if the children’s parents are deceased.Â
Proposition 19 would require property transferred within families to be reassessed to market value as of the date of transfer, resulting in a huge property tax increase for long-held family homes. The only exception is if the children move into the home within a year and make it their principal residence. This is a billion-dollar tax increase on California families.Â
Proposition 19 contains other provisions to expand the opportunities for older homeowners to transfer the base-year value of their home (under Prop. 13) to a replacement home. This was on the ballot in November 2018 as Proposition 5, but voters rejected it.Â
Now, with a massive tax increase added, the price is too high. VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 19.
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No on 21
Why we’re against it
Proposition 21 would change state law to allow radical rent control laws to be passed in cities that are already suffering from an inadequate supply of housing.Â
In 2016, California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office issued a report that found that expanding rent control “likely would discourage new construction” by limiting the profitability of new rental housing. Under current law-the 1995 Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act-housing providers have the right to raise the rent on a vacant unit to market value after a tenant moves out. The same law also bans rent control on units constructed after February 1995 and on single-family homes and condos.Â
Proposition 21 would repeal this law and allow unelected rent boards (or elected rent boards) to impose radical rent control and regulations, even on single-family homes. VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 21.
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Yes on 22
Why we’re for it
This ballot initiative, if passed would consider app-based drivers to be independent contractors and not employees or agents. Therefore, the ballot measure would override Assembly Bill 5 signed in September 2019, on the question of whether app-based drivers are employees or independent contractors.
The ballot initiative would define app-based drivers as workers who (a) provide delivery services on an on-demand basis through a business’s online-enabled application or platform or (b) use a personal vehicle to provide prearranged transportation services for compensation via a business’s online-enabled application or platform.Â
More than one million Californians are affected by AB5. By a 4-to-1 margin, independent surveys show these app-based drivers overwhelmingly prefer to work as independent contractors with flexibility and control of their schedules. Eighty percent (80%) of app-based drivers work only part-time and rely on flexible work to supplement income and provide for their families. VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION 22Â
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No on 23
Why we’re against it
The main provision of the ballot measure mandates that each of the roughly 600 dialysis clinics in California have a physician on the premises during all operating hours, in a non-caregiving, bureaucratic role. This provision alone would result in increased state and local health care costs, resulting from increased dialysis treatment costs. These increased costs will be passed on to all of us in the form of higher insurance premiums and higher taxes for government-sponsored health care. The increase of patient costs and burden to the insurance systems may create a cascading affect resulting in numerous clinic reductions of services and closures. These reductions would put an increased pressure on the remaining, operating dialysis clinics.Â
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Further, This proposition will take thousands of practicing doctors away from their current patients and push them into bureaucratic roles at the 600 dialysis clinics across California – making it harder for all of us to get appointments with our doctors and treatment at our hospitals.Â
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It makes no sense to require a full-time physician to sit around in a dialysis clinic in a non-care role, at a time when our doctor shortage is only projected to worsen.Â
Ventura County Taxpayers Association (VCTA) opposes this measure. VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 23.
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The Ventura County Taxpayer Association is made up people who recognize the importance of government to our communities. Government should be efficient, effective and always transparent. If you would like to support our efforts, please click here to go to our website and join us . Thank you.
In this email, you will find a list of our officially endorsed candidates. Click on their name to go to their websites to support them. In addition, please consider donating to the SB GOP by following this link. All of the funds go directly towards supporting our endorsed candidates. Thank you for all the support! Â
Election Recommendations Jessica Freeman October 16, 2020 Editorial
Unrelenting demonstrations, mayhem, looting, burning of personal property and shooting innocent citizens without a response from officials charged with keeping safe the lives and property of citizens they were elected to serve and protect. If this is your idea of what we should expect from elected officials, then make sure to vote for those who sympathize with the law breakers instead of the law abiding.
I’m pleading with all voters to examine the background and agendas of those running for local positions on the ballot. Those supporting black lives matter instead of all lives matter would give Simi Valley questionable governance. If you feel that the last few months could have been managed better, look to those who represent you in Sacramento and Washington. In Washington, Mike Garcia, has the knowledge of local life and the courage to do what needs to be done to make our lives better. Another chance to improve congressional representation is the candidacy of the equally qualified Ronda Baldwin Kennedy for Congressional District 26.
To get things better in California, we need to end the complete power of the Democrat super majority in the Assembly and Senate. Two great assembly candidates, Suzette Martinez Valladares for District 38 and Denise Pedrow for District 44. The State Senate District 27 candidate is Houman Salem.
For local governance, please give these candidates your vote: Keith Mashburn, a mayor doing a good job of navigating the last two chaotic years. Elaine Litster, a newcomer to the council but a great addition. She realizes there may be other options and does research to back them up. Dee Dee Cavanaugh, another solid, experienced incumbent.
For RSRPD please vote for Elaine Freeman another hard-working dedicated incumbent.
William Hicks
3 years ago
There are no good choices for Thousand Oaks City Council if you believe everyone has a right to an affordable single family dwelling. They all cling to the excessive open space city policy that keeps single family dwellings out of economic reach of median income families.
Thank you, Citizen’s Journal, for doing the work a free press should be doing. I appreciate you, especially ahead of an election.
God bless America.
Thanks, Clark and yes- God bless America!
It is the only way to keep (what’s left of) the US Republic.
We are where we are because of the Democrat-Media Complex, and the millions of ‘cheap grace’ Christians in America who –by not voting– vote Democrat.
Election Recommendations
Jessica Freeman
October 16, 2020
Editorial
Unrelenting demonstrations, mayhem, looting, burning of personal property and shooting innocent citizens without a response from officials charged with keeping safe the lives and property of citizens they were elected to serve and protect. If this is your idea of what we should expect from elected officials, then make sure to vote for those who sympathize with the law breakers instead of the law abiding.
I’m pleading with all voters to examine the background and agendas of those running for local positions on the ballot. Those supporting black lives matter instead of all lives matter would give Simi Valley questionable governance. If you feel that the last few months could have been managed better, look to those who represent you in Sacramento and Washington. In Washington, Mike Garcia, has the knowledge of local life and the courage to do what needs to be done to make our lives better. Another chance to improve congressional representation is the candidacy of the equally qualified Ronda Baldwin Kennedy for Congressional District 26.
To get things better in California, we need to end the complete power of the Democrat super majority in the Assembly and Senate. Two great assembly candidates, Suzette Martinez Valladares for District 38 and Denise Pedrow for District 44. The State Senate District 27 candidate is Houman Salem.
For local governance, please give these candidates your vote: Keith Mashburn, a mayor doing a good job of navigating the last two chaotic years. Elaine Litster, a newcomer to the council but a great addition. She realizes there may be other options and does research to back them up. Dee Dee Cavanaugh, another solid, experienced incumbent.
For RSRPD please vote for Elaine Freeman another hard-working dedicated incumbent.
There are no good choices for Thousand Oaks City Council if you believe everyone has a right to an affordable single family dwelling. They all cling to the excessive open space city policy that keeps single family dwellings out of economic reach of median income families.
We like our open space…they built way too much here. But the buildings on T.O. Blvd are OUT OF CONTROL. So they havent been conservative enough!