Proposition

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board of Education has directed its staff to draft a resolution opposing Proposition 19, a November ballot initiative that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults. John Caldecott, the district's executive director of human resources, told board members at Tuesday night's meeting that he had some concerns with the referendum's potential impact on the district. Mainly, he said, the way in which the proposition is currently written, the school district would not be able to prevent a school bus driver from getting behind the wheel of a bus after having used marijuana.

By and large, local education leaders say they are opposed to the two propositions.On the special election ballot Tuesday are two propositions that could significantly alter the course of education in Newport-Mesa and across California. Here, educators have given both measures an overwhelming response: keep things the way they are. While the Measure F school bond, which would use $282 million of taxpayers' money to modernize schools, is the dominant issue for Newport-Mesa in the special election, voters will also rule on Propositions 74 and 76 -- the former a proposal to change the rules of teacher tenure, the latter an attempt to give the governor more unilateral control of spending.

Still fuming over orders to stand in the background of a gubernatorial news conference while brush fires raged around the county, Burbank and Glendale fire departments came out in opposition Thursday to a ballot proposition they claim would stifle their political involvement. If approved by voters in the special Nov. 8 election, Proposition 75 would require unions representing public employees to get permission from members before spending dues for political purposes.

Lost among the statewide propositions concerning Indian gaming and the race for the presidency of the United States is a little-known proposed amendment to the state's Constitution known as Proposition 59. While it has been overshadowed by bigger and sexier campaigns, the truth is this initiative strikes a blow against those who would deny the people's right to know what the government is doing. Proposition 59's passage would strengthen the Ralph M. Brown Act and the California Public Records Act and make it a state constitutional right for the public and journalists, acting on behalf of the public, to access governmental meetings and governmental documents.

When the California Supreme Court overturned a ban on same-sex marriage this summer, a flood of local gay couples rushed to the courthouse in Santa Ana to get marriage licenses. But even as they celebrated, many gay newlyweds remained skeptical that their marriages would continue to be recognized, as political and religious leaders statewide called for a ballot proposition eliminating the right of same-sex couples to marry. After the initiative — Proposition 8 — passed by a roughly 52-48 margin, some of the local couples that were married in the few-month window of legality still have their legal certificates, but many say that the papers have lost their psychological significance.

While everyone in America has the right to have their political voice heard and the right to attempt to qualify a ballot measure, the results of two separate elections in the past eight years, Proposition 22 in 2000 and Proposition 8 in 2008, were clear. California voters do not want to change the definition of traditional marriage. In fact, Proposition 8 passed with the majority of the vote in an election with the largest turnout statewide since 1976. Two more elections would likely yield the same results as the two previous elections.

Put on your thinking caps -- it's going to be a busy election season this fall for Lagunans. With the City Council setting a Tuesday, Dec. 13 date on the question of whether to increase the city sales tax by one-half cent to raise money for disaster relief, there will be three -- or more -- special elections in the next three months. On Tuesday, Oct. 4, voters will be asked to make their picks for who should fill the 48th District Congressional seat vacated by Chris Cox. A total of 17 candidates are asking for your vote, including 10 Republicans, four Democrats and one each Libertarian, Green and American Independent.

The Newport Beach City Council is scheduled to vote tonight on whether to oppose a state ballot measure that would steer more people convicted of drug-related crimes into treatment instead of serving time behind bars. City officials including Police Chief John Klein and Councilman Keith Curry said Proposition 5 would siphon more recovering drug addicts into Newport’s numerous sober-living homes through state alternative sentencing programs. “It would further drive demand for residential recovery and further impact our community in terms of the number of people seeking treatment,” Curry said.

As a volunteer who promoted Proposition 8, I spent many nights on street corners with other neighbors and volunteers waving to motorists while proudly displaying our “Yes on 8” signs. I saw the reaction and voices of the public through hand gestures and shouted comments as they drove by. Proposition 8 supporters honked, waved and gave the thumbs up. Many even stopped to thank us. Those who opposed Proposition 8 also honked while giving a frowned thumbs down. Then there were many against Proposition 8 who were aggressive and shouted out profanity while flipping us a middle finger.

Measures B, C, D and E all tinker with how money from Proposition 172 -- which devotes a part of tax revenues to public safety agencies -- is allocated.When Newport-Mesa voters visit the ballot box Tuesday, they'll be faced with the alphabet soup of five local initiatives. Measure F, the Newport-Mesa Unified School District's bond issue, is the only one that's not about public safety funding. The other four issues, measures B, C, D and E, revolve around how to allocate money the county gets from Proposition 172, a measure state voters approved in 1993 to devote half a cent of existing sales tax to county public safety agencies.

Supporters of same-sex marriage called Tuesday's federal court ruling negating Proposition 8 a step in the right direction while opponents argued that the will of California voters should stand. "It is incredible, marvelous," Newport Beach Dr. Jorge Rodriguez said of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision to overturn the proposition on constitutional grounds. "I'm really reminded of that Martin Luther King quote that I love: 'The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.'" Rodriguez, a Laguna Beach resident who works at Orange Coast Medical Group, said that as a doctor he sees health problems, including depression, in patients who do not feel validated.

COSTA MESA — Coast Community College District trustees approved a tentative budget this week that cuts about 10% of classes across its three colleges in order to help fill in a $15.5-million budget gap. The district unanimously accepted its 2011-12 budget Wednesday night. Modifications could be added to the final budget that the board will vote on in September. "This has been a most challenging year for our budget development," said Andrew Dunn, vice chancellor of administrative services.

COSTA MESA — Many of the 600 Costa Mesa Middle School students wore red shirts Thursday in recognition of Red Ribbon Week, an anti-drug movement born in the Just Say No 1980s. The annual demonstration fell days before voters will decide on Proposition 19, which would decriminalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults older than 21. "They can legalize it," said Nabeel Salamen, 12, a seventh-grader, "but it's going to be people's choice then to [make] their life worse.

It is time for us to be realistic and manage the trade and usage of marijuana instead of simply moralizing about it. The honest facts are that today marijuana is the largest cash crop in California (No. 2 is grapes); with illegal dealers there are no controls whatsoever on quality, quantity, age restrictions, price or place of sale; and most of the big money goes to groups like the Mexican drug cartels, juvenile gangs and other thugs, and they don't pay taxes on any of it. It is also a fact that the voters are ahead of the politicians on these issues.

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board of Education has directed its staff to draft a resolution opposing Proposition 19, a November ballot initiative that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults. John Caldecott, the district's executive director of human resources, told board members at Tuesday night's meeting that he had some concerns with the referendum's potential impact on the district. Mainly, he said, the way in which the proposition is currently written, the school district would not be able to prevent a school bus driver from getting behind the wheel of a bus after having used marijuana.

PROPOSITION 16 -- PG&E'S SUPERMAJORITY EVIL CALLS FOR A NO VOTE ANOTHER DECEPTIVE BALLOT PROPOSITION  By Norma Jeanne Strobel Proponents call Proposition 16 "The Taxpayers Right to Vote Act", but don’t be fooled. It's another misleading initiative that says one thing, but really means something very different. Prop. 16 doesn’t deal with taxes nor does it enfranchise anyone. Instead, this turkey extends to local government, the paralysis now caused by requiring supermajorities in the U.S. senate and our own California legislature.

Toward the end of the June primary ballot, voters will be asked to weigh in on Proposition 15, a measure that has gotten little attention but could transform the landscape of California politics. Proposition 15 has a seemingly modest goal: a pilot program that would make the 2014 and 2018 secretary of state elections publicly financed and ask candidates to forgo political contributions and adhere to strict spending limits. But activists on both sides say the proposition is more significant than just two elections for one relatively low-profile office and could be expanded to all statewide offices in the future.

While everyone in America has the right to have their political voice heard and the right to attempt to qualify a ballot measure, the results of two separate elections in the past eight years, Proposition 22 in 2000 and Proposition 8 in 2008, were clear. California voters do not want to change the definition of traditional marriage. In fact, Proposition 8 passed with the majority of the vote in an election with the largest turnout statewide since 1976. Two more elections would likely yield the same results as the two previous elections.

Nothing less than equal is fair or just. I will continue to struggle for equal marriage rights because separate but equal is just not equal. A civil union is not the same as a marriage. There are two ways to fix this injustice. One: Every couple, regardless of sexual orientation, can receive a marriage license and get married and be recognized by the state. Or two: Every couple obtains a license for a civil union and unites in a state-sanctioned union. If this is the case, couples can turn to their religious traditions, or other types of officiants to preside over their wedding ceremonies.