Tomorrow is an election day in California. A special election has been scheduled, throughout the state, to consider what is billed as a "temporary" set of changes to Congressional Districts in the State of California. A special election is also scheduled within the City of Santa Cruz, to allow City voters to decide on two different (and competing) initiative measures related to proposed tax increases to support affordable housing.
Both the State and the City of Santa Cruz measures are consequential. Hopefully, those voters who may be reading this blog posting already know that, and have not forgotten about these elections, and have either already voted, or will do so by 8:00 p.m. tomorrow, which is the deadline.
It is fair to say that the statewide election, which will determine the fate of Proposition 50, is absolutely "partisan" in its intentions. The purpose of Proposition 50 is to redraw Congressional District lines in California, to favor the election of more Democratic Party candidates to the United States Congress, and to replace with Democrats a number of current Members of Congress who are members of the Republican Party. While there are no "guarantees," if Proposition 50 passes, the so-called "midterm" Congressional elections, to be held next year, are expected to send five more Democratic Party candidates to Congress than would be the case if the district boundaries were not modified by the passage of Proposition 50.
In the City election, there is a choice is between Measure B (sponsored by the Santa Cruz County Association of Realtors) and Measure C, supported by the Mayor of the City of Santa Cruz, Fred Keeley, and a number of different community leaders, all in favor of raising money, through a real estate transfer tax, to support affordable housing projects.
Measures B and C speak to the same issue - and though they are very significantly different, each one would impose a real estate transfer tax to support affordable housing (and other non-housing-related initiatives, in the case of Measure B). Since both measures address the same subject, a vote for one is necessarily a vote against the other. If both were to get a majority vote, and thus pass, the measure with the most votes would be enacted, and the other measure would be defeated. Of course, it is possible that both Measures B and C might fail to get a majority vote, in which case neither measure would be enacted.
Consequential decisions? Absolutely. Don't miss your chance to vote. The deadline is 8:00 p.m. tomorrow.
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