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 © 2024-2026. All rights reserved. |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measure | Agency | Type | Question | Bond Amount | Tax Rate | Tax |
| A | Bonita Unified | Prop 39 bond | Bonita Unified School District Classroom Repair, ... oversight/audits/spending disclosure, funds for local schools? | $256,000,000 | $59.00 | $588,800,000 |
| B | Pasadena Glen Community Services District | parcel tax | Shall the measure to maintain and improve Pasadena ... annual reporting and Board oversight, be adopted? | -- | $800.00 | $52,000 |
| I | City of Inglewood | charter | Ordinance to Amend the Inglewood Fire Code to Permit ... establishes rules and penalties for violations? | -- | ||
| S | City of San Marino | transactions and use tax | To maintain funding (that The State of California ... raising $1,651,000 annually, until ended by voters? | -- | 1 cent | $1,651,000 |
| Z | City of Pomona | charter | POMONA KIDS FIRST FUNDING AMENDMENT: Shall the measure ... to administer the Fund under the Act, be adopted? | -- | ||
| BB | City of Bell | transactions and use tax | City of Bell Public Safety/City Services Measure: ... disclosure, with all funds locally controlled, be adopted? | -- | 1 cent | $3,500,000 |
| BG | City of Bell Gardens | transactions and use tax | Keep Bell Gardens Sales Tax Revenues Local Measure. ... 1% to raise an additional $1.2 million annually? | -- | 1/4 cent | $1,200,000 |
| CB | City of Los Angeles | cannabis business tax | APPLYING CANNABIS BUSINESS TAXES TO UNLICENSED ... fire protection, and parks, until ended by voters? | -- | 10%/sales, 5%/med, 2%/mfg, 1%/transport | $35,000,000 |
| CC | City of Covina | transactions and use tax | Covina Public Safety, Local Control, and Accountability ... ended by voters, with money staying in the City? | -- | 1/4 cent | $3,000,000 |
| ER | County of Los Angeles | transactions and use tax | Essential Services Restoration Act for Los Angeles ... billion annually, with independent audits, be adopted? | -- | 1/2 cent | $1,000,000,000 |
| FW | City of Carson | charter | Shall the measure, placed on the ballot by initiative ... law) subject to specified exceptions, be adopted? | -- | ||
| GG | City of Gardena | transactions and use tax | City of Gardena Services Measure. Shall the measure ... disclosure, all funds controlled locally, be adopted? | -- | 1/4 cent | $3,900,000 |
| GL | City of Sierra Madre | Gann limit | City of Sierra Madre No-Tax Increase Gann Measure. ... increase taxes or impose any new taxes), be adopted? | -- | ||
| LL | Lawndale Elementary | Prop 39 bond | With no projected increase to current tax rates, ... independent audits, and all money staying local? | $42,000,000 | $30.00 | $92,116,000 |
| LP | City of La Puente | transactions and use tax | Keep La Puente Sales Tax Revenues Local Measure. ... ability to suspend application of the increased rate? | -- | 1/2 cent | $3,600,000 |
| LR | Little Lake City Elementary | Prop 39 bond | LITTLE LAKE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT CLASSROOM REPAIR, ... audits, oversight, all funds for local schools? | $45,000,000 | $30.00 | $103,500,000 |
| LS | Little Lake City Elementary | Prop 39 bond | LITTLE LAKE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT CLASSROOM EDUCATION/STUDENT ... audits, oversight, all funds for local schools? | $45,000,000 | $30.00 | $103,500,000 |
| LW | City of Lomita | transactions and use tax | City of Lomita Local Control/Services Measure. ... spending disclosure, all funds, locally controlled? | -- | 1/4 cent | $650,000 |
| PC | City of Commerce | transactions and use tax | Commerce Essential Services Protection Measure: ... voters, with annual audits and public disclosure? | -- | 1/4 cent | $4,500,000 |
| PF | City of Palos Verdes Estates | parcel tax | Shall the measure to maintain the City of Palos ... disclosure/independent financial audits, be adopted? | -- | $997.00 + $0.67/sqft | $16,200,000 |
| SP | South Pasadena Unified | Prop 39 bond | To upgrade classrooms, labs, career training and ... independent oversight/audits/all money locally controlled? | $128,000,000 | $48.00 | $294,400,000 |
| TC | City of Los Angeles | transient occupancy tax | APPLYING TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX TO ONLINE TRAVEL ... protection, and parks, until ended by the voters? | -- | 14% | $5,000,000 |
| TT | City of Los Angeles | transient occupancy tax | FUNDING FOR CITY SERVICES THROUGH MODIFICATIONS ... approximately $22-44 million annually until ended by voters? | -- | 16% until 2028,15% 2029 | $44,000,000 |
| CPT | Compton Unified | Prop 39 bond | To fix deteriorating roofs, plumbing, heating, electrical ... administrative salaries, and all money locally controlled? | $360,000,000 | $60.00 | $697,021,371 |
| LCF | La Ca?ada Unified | Prop 39 bond | To upgrade aging classrooms/labs supporting student ... oversight/audits and all funds locally-controlled? | $113,000,000 | $29.00 | $259,900,000 |
| NDC | City of Monterey Park | charter | Proposition to Prohibit Data Centers in Monterey ... centers continuing until ended by voters, be adopted? | -- |
# # #