FREE//GRATUITO
Vol. 44 No. 22
Noviembre 6–19, 2014
Published by Acción Latina
2014 Election day recap 1
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low voter turnout and what the results mean for latinos Poca participación electoral y qué representan los resultados para los latinos Staff
Equipo
SF Propositions:
El Tecolote
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n the hours after polls closed on Nov. 4, California recorded a lower-than-average voter turnout—34.8 percent of the voting eligible population (VEP). San Francisco, which had key ballot measures tackling issues including minimum wage, transportation infrastructure and the city’s housing crisis, didn’t fare much better, as only 39.48 percent of registered voters actually turned up at the polls to vote. The results are in, and while it’s too early to know for sure how they will change the landscape, here is a brief recap of some of the measures most likely to impact Latinos. Perhaps the highest profile San Francisco Proposition on this year’s ballot, Proposition G, or the “Property Re-sale Tax,” was defeated. Drafted by affordable housing advocates in an attempt to stem the city’s epidemic of evictions at the hands of realestate speculators, the measure would have heavily taxed the sale of multi-unit buildings that were sold within five years of being purchased. Now that it’s been rejected by voters, San Francisco can expect its soaring real-estate market and the subsequent eviction crisis to continue unabated for the foreseeable future. On the bright side, San Franciscans overwhelmingly passed a citywide minimum wage hike in the form of Proposition J, which will increase wages incrementally over the next two years for San Francisco’s lowest paid workers to $15 per hour by 2018. San Francisco voters also approved Proposition K, a non-binding resolution to increase the money set aside toward affordable housing programs with the goal of creating 30,000 affordable units by the year 2020. Proposition C passed, extending an existing “Children’s Fund” for the next 25 years. Proposition C creates a council to establish
Proposition title
El Tecolote
ance companies can continue to gouge working-class families or deny service altogether. Another hotly contested measure, The Reduced Penalties for Some Crimes Initiative, was passed, reclassifying certain “non-serious, non-violent” felonies as misdemeanors. California spends an estimated $9 billion annually on its prison system, and by helping ease its bloated inmate See Election, page 9
Vea elección, página 9
A
Transportation and Road Improvement Bond
71.2%
28.77%
B
Adjusting Transportation Funding for Population Growth
61.14%
38.86%
C
Children & Families First Tax & Administration Proposal
73.2%
26.8 %
D
Former Retiree Benefits
55.25%
44.75%
E
Sugary Drink Tax (Failed to reach 67% majority vote)
54.5%
45.5%
F
Pier 70 Redevelopment Initiative
72.28%
27.72%
G
Re-sail Tax on Residential Property Re-Sold in 5 Years
46.01%
53.99%
H
Golden Gate Park Natural Grass Preservation Initiative
45.85%
54.15%
I
Golden Gate Park Turf Athletic Fields Renovation
54.8%
45.2%
J
Minimum Wage Increase
76.83%
23.17 %
K
Additional Affordable Housing Policy
65.05%
34.95%
L
Restore Transportation Balance
37.67%
62.33%
1
Water
68.8% of electorate
2
Rainy Day Fund (State Budget Stabilization Account)
68.7% of electorate
45
Public Notice Required for Insurance Company Rates
40%
59.8%
46
Doctor Drug Testing and Medical Negligence
32.9%
67.1%
47
Reduced Penalties for Some Crimes Initiative
58.5%
41.5%
48
Create New Casino in Madera County
39.1%
60.9%
CA Propositions:
and review plans to improve conditions for children and working families in San Francisco. At the state level, voters approved Proposition 1, a water bond addressing what has become the worst drought on record. The measure authorizes $7.15 billion in general obligation bonds for infrastructure improvements, including supply management, surface and ground storage, drinking water protection and water treatment. This will have an especially
pronounced effect on central valley communities, which are largely Latino. Californians voted to block Proposition 45, the Public Notice Required for Insurance Company Rates Initiative. Proposition 45 would have given the state’s insurance commissioner some oversight of the insurance companies’ ability to increase rates and deny eligibility on the basis of poor credit or lack of prior coverage. Its defeat means that insur-
H
oras después del cierre de las urnas el 4 de noviembre, California registró una participación electoral del 34.8% inferior al número de población elegible para votar (VEP, por sus siglas en inglés). A la ciudad de San Francisco, que tenía medidas claves de votación relacionadas con temas como el salario mínimo, la infraestructura de transporte y la crisis de vivienda, no le fue mejor, ya que sólo 39.48% de los votantes registrados acudió ante las urnas. Los resultados están y, aun cuando es demasiado pronto para saber cómo van a cambiar el panorama, se presenta, a continuación, un breve resumen de algunas medidas que impactarán a la comunidad latina. Quizás en el más alto perfil de San Francisco referente a proposiciones en la boleta de este año, estuvo la Proposición G o “Impuestos de Propiedad Re-venta” la cual fue derogada. Redactada por los defensores de vivienda asequible en un intento por detener la epidemia de la ciudad de los desalojos a manos de especuladores, la medida habría gravado fuertemente la venta de edificios de unidades múltiples que se vendieron dentro de los cinco años de haber sido adquiridos. Ahora que ha sido rechazada por los votantes, San Francisco podría esperar que el alza del mercado de rentas y la crisis posterior al desalojo continúen. Del lado positivo, San Francisco aprobó con abrumadora mayoría la Proposición J, que contempla un aumento al salario mínimo de forma incremental durante los próximos dos años para aquellos que perciban salarios más bajos hasta llegar a $15 por hora en 2018. Los votantes también aprobaron la Propuesta K, una resolución no vinculante para aumentar el recurso destinado a
Yes votes % No votes
%
A pesar de las campañas de promoción y organización comunitaria, la Proposición G no fue aprobada. Despite outreach campaigns and community organizing, Proposition G failed to pass. Photo Shane Menez. 2. Mucho antes de que fueran anunciados los resultados de la elección, Campos y sus simpatizantes celebraron en El Río. Long before election results were announced, the Campos campaign and supporters celebrated at El Rio. Photo Bridgid Skiba. 3. Daniel Flores obtuvo el cargo de Juez de San Francisco. Daniel Flores won seat 20 for San Francisco’s Superior Court. Photo Angelica Ekeke.