All forms of hate, bigotry, and racism are up in California and throughout the nation. Black people have dealt with racism since the year 1619!
Over the last several years, a political party has become a cult. Hatred, bigotry, racism is their foundation block and a lack of moral decency for all Americans. It is very disturbing as we recognize their racist hidden agenda in the State Legislature to cause major harm to middle-class and low-income citizens.
The political cult system holds a deceitful maneuver, called a “gut-and-amend” – a process in the California legislature that allows law makers to bypass the usual deadline for bill introduction and amendment. The process involves removing the current content of a bill in its entirety and replacing it with different provisions. This circumvents a public review process that allows those interested in a particular piece of legislation to testify during a committee hearing or to write to a lawmaker with their concerns.
That’s the reality we are dealing with – crafty moves by politicians trying to dodge our watchful eyes.
The move was exposed late Friday afternoon on August 18th, out of nowhere, a new constitutional amendment, ACA 13, was quietly put forward in Sacramento. The implications – it is a golden ticket for members of the political cult and their special interest groups to drive up our taxes and fees– making California’s cost of living even more of a stretch for middle- and low-income citizens. It is another chapter in the story of our state’s elected officials working to give regular California citizens less of a say over their future and lives.
California already feels the weight of the nation’s highest income, state sales, and gas taxes. The cost of living in this state is unbearable. But instead of trying to lighten our load, these Sacramento politicians seem dead set on stripping away our rights to fend off these rising costs.
They are not done yet. Now, they are trying to dismantle Proposition 13, one of our last defenses against politicians and their special interest groups getting further in our wallets. ACA 13 would give these special interest groups and politicians more power to chip away at Proposition 13 and our other voter-backed defenses against higher taxes.
ACA 13 isn’t just about our financial position. It’s an attack on the very essence of democracy. ACA 13 is all about giving politicians more power at the expense of California citizens. By making it harder for voters to pass common-sense taxpayer protections for themselves, ACA 13 is a hit on hard-working families and shows that many of Sacramento’s leaders do not understand the financial struggles our community is facing.
Our state’s initiative process, a crucial piece in our fight for justice, was put in place more than 100 years ago to give us voters a say when the Legislature is only responsive to special interests. It is a way to stand tall when these politicians overstep their authority and power. It’s our shield against unchecked control. Yet, those we put in power are plotting to silence our voice.
The courts have repeatedly ruled against the will of the voters and weakened voter-enacted taxpayer protections like Prop 13. Under ACA 13, power to reinstate their will would shift significantly to the Legislature, limiting the voice of voters and significantly reducing the power of the ballot initiative process.
If ACA 13 passes, taxpayer protections against court-created loopholes like the Upland decision, which overturned part of a voter-approved Prop. 218, would have to be passed by 2/3 of voters, even though Prop. 218 was passed by a majority of voters. Again, this significantly impacts the ability of voters to be a forceful check-and-balance through the ballot box.
This is a very critical moment, our rights, our finances, the younger generation and the future citizens of California’s souls hang in the balance. No wonder members of the State Legislature are rushing to pass ACA 13 before the citizens of California notice.
We must let our state representative know it’s a very hard NO on ACA 13.
Earl “Skip” Cooper II has been a political, community and business leader in California for over 50 years. He has served as an advisor/consultant to elected officials and also taught Black Political Reality in the early 1980s at Cal State LA.
