California Ballot Propositions In Trouble (Good!)

The Sacramento Bee is reporting that five of six California ballot propositions are failing.

Their pollings show that Propositions 1A-1F are in serious trouble except for the proposition limiting legisators' pay hikes:

A plurality of voters favored one measure -- Proposition 1F -- which would ban pay raises for state elected officials when there is a budget shortfall. Prop 1F was favored by 45 to 35 percent.

Their other findings are as follows:

Proposition 1A, trailed 51 percent to 38 percent, according to the poll. Prop 1A would impose state spending restrictions and a "rainy day" budget fund while triggering $16 billion in extended tax hikes.

The Proposition 1B educational funding measure -- which is pegged to passage of Prop 1A -- trailed 50 percent to 41 percent, according to the poll.

Proposition 1C, would allow $5 billion in borrowing from a revamped state lottery, was by far the least popular measure. It trailed 52 percent to 29 percent and was losing in every geographic region in California.

Majorities also opposed Propositions 1D and 1E. The measures would allow voter-approved funds for child development and mental health programs to be used for other purposes.

Talk show host Hugh Hewitt took a look at this and noted:

The single biggest driver behind the "no" vote is, however, the dishonesty of the "yes" campaign. The brain trust in Sacramento decided to try and sell their massive tax hike and theft of money from designated funds as a "spending cap," and in so doing conveyed enormous contempt for the voters. Every time Arnold calls Measure 1A and its sister stealth proposals as other than a massive tax hike and a series of tax grabs --1D is literally stealing money from kids programs like dentistry and autism/asthma treatment even as the legislature kept its cars and staffs-- the public feels, correctly, that Arnold and the Sacramento Dems thinks they are idiots. The smart guys running the campaign have managed to telegraph a sneer with every ad that shows a weary fireman pleading with the voters not to end firefighting in the state. Voters know they are being conned, and no amount of campaign spending can erase the complete knowledge that the electeds and their sharpie advisors think the voters a vast crowd of fools.

The significance of the "no" vote on 1A through 1E is that it signals more of the same disgust as powered the Tea Parties: Government is too large, takes too much of our money, and lies about doing so.

It looks very encouraging that California voters are catching on that the Sacramento government (i.e., Schwarzeneggar and the Democrat-controlled legislature) have overspent and brought the state to its knees.

With the exception of Proposition 1F, I also urge a 'no' vote on these measures.