Here are City For Everyone’s recommendations for the many ballot propositions in California and Bay Area for the upcoming November 2020 elections!
California
Proposition 15
End property tax freeze for big corporations
Endorsement: Strong YES!
Currently property tax is only reassessed when properties change ownership. Most corporations hold their real estate in holding companies, selling the holding company rather than the land to avoid tax reassessment. This means big companies are paying property taxes on the 1978 assessment of their property, which is orders of magnitude smaller than the current value. Prop 15 will end property tax breaks on big companies so they pay their fair share, while exempting small businesses and agricultural land. Closing this tax loophole is necessary to make sure our public services survive the strain caused by the current pandemic.
Proposition 16
Repeal the 1996 public-sector ban on affirmative action
Endorsement: Yes
The existing policy of neutrality fails to address the systemic issues of historicracism, sexism, and xenophobia in California. “Colorblindness” in housing policy in particular has been catastrophic by ignoring structural racism.
Proposition 17
Restores the right to vote to people convicted of felonies who are on parole
Endorsement: Strong Yes!
Everyone deserves a chance to vote in their communities. Since 1974, people convicted of felonies have been able to vote in California once they’ve completed their parole. The average length of parole in CA is three years, but can be as long as the prison term, up to several decades. Passing Prop 17 will restore fundamental rights to people returning home from prison and give them a stake in their community. Given the heavy racial bias in our criminal justice and policing systems, eliminating felony disenfranchisement also reduces racial inequality in who is allowed to vote.
Proposition 18
Allows 17-year-olds who will be 18 at the time of the next general election to vote in primaries and special elections
Endorsement: Yes
So many issues requiring immediate action, from housing policy to the climate crisis, will especially impact today’s young people. Being able to vote in primaries will allow new general election voters to avoid being put in the situation of voting on candidates they had no say in.
Proposition 19
Changes tax assessment transfers and inheritance rules
Endorsement: No position
This closes the loophole in 1978’s Prop 13 which allows the property tax basis to be inherited for vacation homes and rental properties. It expands the ability of age 55+ homeowners to keep their tax basis when moving to a different county, in theory to promote downsizing homes for empty-nesters. In the future we’d like to see Prop 13 and Prop 58 repealed entirely. In any case, Prop 19 is put forward cynically by realtor associations, which we have no love for.
Proposition 20
Reclassifies some misdemeanors as felonies and mandates DNA collection
Endorsement: No
Prop 20 would reverse progress we’ve made in California in reducing the prison population by putting people in prison longer. Keeping people in prison does not make us safer. Long term, we should work towards non-carceral and restorative justice.
Proposition 21
Expands local governments’ power to use rent control
Endorsement: Strong Yes!
Rent control helps stabilize current renters and prevent displacement, while we push for abundant and affordable housing. With Prop 21, cities can enact rent control on apartments built more than 15 years ago. This replaces the disastrous Costa–Hawkins Rental Housing Act from 1995.
Proposition 22
Considers app-based drivers to be independent contractors and weakens labor rights
Endorsement: Strong No!
Uber, Lyft, Doordash, and the Californian Republican Party, have spent millions trying to strip back the meager labor rights covering app-based gig workers. This is an egregious example of companies trying to to regulate themselves. This measure will be practically impossible to modify if passed, as it requires an unprecedented 7/8 (!!) majority in both legislature chambers to be amended, and only if it’s in the spirit of Prop 22. Otherwise, to change it or repeal it, it must go back as a ballot initiative. Even if you have reservations about AB5, we still strongly support NO for Prop 22 for process-related reasons.
Additionally, the wage guarantees only cover driving hours and not waiting for trip requests, which makes up 30-40% of driver time. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic local laws say that drivers must ensure their cars are sanitized, for both driver and passenger safety — and drivers must be paid for this work. Under Prop 22, these laws would no longer apply, and so drivers would not be paid to sanitize their car. A UC Berkeley study estimated the pay guarantee to be equivalent to $5.64 per hour. Prop 22 also doesn’t pay for full Covered California healthcare premiums, and doesn’t pay into state disability and unemployment funds.
Proposition 24
Expands the provisions of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and creates the California Privacy Protection Agency to implement and enforce the CCPA
Endorsement: No position
Privacy advocates (https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/07/why-eff-doesnt-support-cal-prop-24) say this measure doesn’t effectively increase privacy protections and in many ways is a step backwards.
Proposition 25
Replaces cash bail with risk assessments for suspects awaiting trial
Endorsement: Yes
The current cash bail system is ineffective at compelling defendants to appear at trial and largely penalizes the poor who are unable to pay their bail. While Prop 25 gives us some concern by allowing judges more discretion about who is jailed before trial, and the ongoing pattern of biased risk assessment algorithms, this is a first step in pushing for a more fair legal system and we’ll keep up the pressure.
Regional
Measure RR
Add 1/8 cent sales tax to fund Caltrain
Endorsement: Strong Yes
Caltrain is the transit backbone of the peninsula. This measure will keep Caltrain funded and improving through its first ever dedicated funding source, fund low-income access programs, and service increases. Without this measure, Caltrain would have to put off improvements, cut service, and eliminate or delay reduced-fare programs for low-income riders, and possibly shut down. In general we prefer more progressive forms of taxation over sales taxes, but we can’t lose key transit infrastructure due to a lack of funding. We can and should support this imperfect measure to keep the lights on for Caltrain in this difficult time and continue to work as a coalition to shift the dedicated revenue source to more progressive sources. The tax is also very small, around 1 cent on each $100 spent.
Alameda
Prop Z
Legalize building apartments
Endorsement: Strong Yes!
Alameda’s existing charter restricts new housing to only unaffordable and high carbon-footprint single family homes. Prop Z would allow building new apartments in Alameda for the first time in decades, expand affordable housing, and open access to Alamed for working families.
Albany
Measure BB
Ranked choice voting
Endorsement: Yes
Ranked choice voting has been proven to work in other Bay Area cities like San Francisco and Oakland, resulting in higher voter turnout among people of color and a more diverse candidate pool. RCV eliminates the problem of vote-splitting and voting for the “lesser evil,” making it easier to elect progressive candidates.
Mountain View
Measure C
RV parking ban
Endorsement: Strong No!
Living in an RV without running water or electricity the often the last resort for low-income workers. The county’s two “Safe Parking” sites are already over capacity and only have room for 30% of the city’s RVs, and Mountain View remains in a shelter emergency. Measure C provides no funding for additional housing options and threatens our neighbors living in RVs with homelessness during a pandemic.
San Mateo
Measure R and Y
Extend apartment ban for ten more years
Endorsement: Strong No!
The original anti-density measure from 1990 was intended to keep San Mateo segregated economically and racially. Measure Y preserves the existing zoning, while Measure R slightly raises height and density limits near the three Caltrain stations. Both restrict the ability to increase housing supply in the future.
San Francisco
Proposition A
Health and Homelessness, Parks, and Streets Bond
Endorsement: Yes
This will raise funds to help address mental health and substance use, and allocate $147 million to permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, and shelters.
Proposition B
Split Department of Public Works into two departments
Endorsement: No position
Our main issue with DPW is that it conducts tent sweeps. We strongly condemn Mayor Breed’s support of sweeps, but are not convinced that the proposed restructuring will fix this critical issue.
Proposition C
Remove Citizenship Requirements for City Commissions and Boards
Endorsement: Strong Yes!
34% of San Francisco residents are immigrants. The current prohibition on non-citizens only serves to disenfranchise our neighbors, both documented and undocumented.
Proposition D
Establish Civilian Oversight over the Sheriff’s Department
Endorsement: Strong Yes
Prop D will strengthen our commitment to racial justice by giving the public the power to investigate allegations of misconduct within the Sheriff’s department.
Proposition E
Remove Police Staffing Target
Endorsement: Yes
This will remove the arbitrary 1994 SFPD headcount target and give the city the ability to work on shifting resources from the police department into social services to address mental health, poverty, and homelessness.
Proposition F
Business Tax Overhaul
Endorsement: Yes
This switches San Francisco from a payroll tax to a gross receipts tax. As a revenue-positive overhaul of business taxes, it will unlock funding for housing from 2018’s Prop C, exempt small businesses, and slightly increase taxes on business with the largest revenues. See SPUR’s breakdown: https://www.spur.org/voter-guide/san-francisco-2020-11/prop-f-business-tax-changes
Proposition G
Youth Voting in Local Elections
Endorsement: Yes
In the past two years students have led mass movements for racial justice, addressing the climate emergency, and support gun control. Lowering the voting age to 16 for local elections will give young people to power to demand action with their votes.
Proposition H
Neighborhood Commercial Districts and City Permitting
Endorsement: No position
(Updated Oct. 16 2020 )
After reviewing public feedback and seeing the opposition to the proposition by NIMBY groups we decided to change from our previous stance to “No position” on this measure. We continue to be conflicted on the measure. While we still have reservations, there are also parts we like such as: Streamlining business applications, removing Planning Commission discretion on businesses already allowed by existing zoning, and not penalizing business for mistakes made by the city during application review.
However, we still have our previous concerns: the Board of Supervisors should have just done this legislation themselves. This is a very complicated measure for the voters, we’re wary about the measures converting restaurant space into co-working space, and we continue to be concerned that the public parklets will feel privatized.
But, if the measure fails, the Board of Supervisors may see this as a voter mandate to preserve the existing system and fail to pass any legislation addressing permitting. Additionally, the parklets are already imperfect. We continue to advocate for additional public space allocated away from cars and for bikers and pedestrians like the Slow Streets programs and sidewalk expansions. Ultimately, City For Everyone could not come to a consensus on this measure.
Proposition I
Increase Real Estate Transfer Tax on properties sold for over $10 million
Endorsement: Yes
Our biggest concern is that this doesn’t go far enough. The city needs to capture value of real estate sales, even when they’re under $10M.
Proposition J
Parcel Tax for San Francisco Unified School District
Endorsement: Yes
We already passed this parcel tax but it’s tied up in court because it didn’t get two-thirds. If it gets two-thirds this time, it would free up these funds.
Proposition K
Affordable Housing Authorization
Endorsement: Strong Yes
Adopted for explicitly racist and segregationist reasons, Article 34 of California’s constitution requires voters to approve low-income housing development. We wish we didn’t have to approve this each time, and hope for a full repeal of Article 34 soon. Approving public housing in the abstract is far easier than actually approving specific locations, achieving maximum density, and overcoming local NIMBYism. We look forward to Supervisor Preston pushing for overcoming hurdles to actually make this crucially needed housing a reality.
Proposition L
Ties taxes to the ratio of Top Executive Pay to Median Employees Pay
Endorsement: Yes
This will impose an additional gross receipts tax of 0.1% of to 0.6% on companies who pay their executives at least $2.7 million per year and the ratio of executive pay is over 100:1. The threat that this will cause big companies to shift entry-level jobs to contractors is a hollow one since that has been happening across the country since the 1980s.