Last week the Editorial board of the Los Angeles Times endorsed Measure A on the November 8 ballot.
“Measure A would impose a tax on improved property, at a rate of 1.5 cents per square foot, to pay for parks, recreation, open space and cultural amenities. It would replace a county tax that passed in 1992 but expired last year, and another one adopted in 1996 that sunsets in two years. Those taxes have been the primary source of parks funding not just in the county’s system but for most of the region’s 88 cities as well.”
“The drafters of Measure A did a pretty good job of designing a program under which chunks of funding are distributed equitably, by need, geography and interest. Importantly, much of the funding will be made in the form of grants to cities and other applicants that can present a good case for their projects. That will allow the funding system to keep up with demographic and other changes that affect park needs.”
“Measure A would be good for the county, its people and its quality of life. It deserves a “yes” vote,” wrote the LA Times.
In addition to Measure A, the November ballot is jammed with state, county and local measures that could have significant important on our local infrastructure.
More Election Information
Since the election is less than a month away and so many voters are now able to vote by mail, editorial writers are publishing their recommendations for voters.
The League of Women Voters of Los Angeles has a module on its website called VotersEdgeCA that allows you enter your address and pull up your specific ballot so you can do your research and create a sample ballot with your preferences. You can print or email your list. It also includes information on your local polling location.
In addition, the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board published its endorsements for all the races and measures on the 2016 ballot.
LA Daily News has also published its endorsements of candidates in local races. Comments on the various propositions are on the opinion page of the website, but not listed in sequence that we could find.
KPCC-FM has prepared a detailed “explainer” of all 17 statewide propositions on the ballot.
KCET’s Ballot Brief is another source of information about all the statewide elections, as well as the measures our on local ballots.
Perhaps the most entertaining voter guide comes from Van Nuys based Democratic Activist Damian Carroll, who created a haiku guide to all the propositions, which he tweeted at #haikutheprops and which was widely reported and retweeted.
These are just a few of the sources we found when looking for information on how to vote. We will continue to add to the list and welcome your suggestions as well.
