Ventura GOP Urges Voters to Reject Proposition 1

Thousand Oaks, Calif. – Last night, the Ventura County Republican Party unanimously voted to recommend a “No” vote on Proposition 1.

“Gavin Newsom has never met a spending measure he didn’t like,” said Ventura GOP Chairman John Andersen. “This $6.38 billion dollar boondoggle will cost taxpayers at least $9 billion over 30 years. If Governor Newsom could solve homelessness with billions of dollars, he would have already done so.”

“Newsom’s state budge already has a $73 billion dollar hole in it – and, now, he’s asking voters to spend even more money?” Andersen continued.

“When you start digging and find yourself in a hole, you might want to stop digging. The voters of Ventura County and, indeed, all of California should tell Gavin to put down his shovel by voting no on Proposition 1,” Andersen concluded.

Some Facts about Proposition 1:

● It’s huge: The bill runs over 180 pages, amending dozens of statutes and creating new law. Much of it was drafted in a rush in a secretive, exclusionary legislative process. The potential for unintended consequences and litigation is enormous.

● It’s expensive: Prop. 1’s bonds will cost at least $9.3 billion to pay back, according to the Legislative Analyst. That means a new annual charge of $310 million out of every state budget for 30 years, reducing the money available for other priorities. Prop. 1 also reduces current funding for local mental health services, requiring counties to spend more money if they want to keep programs that they have. And Prop. 1 doubles state administrative costs for the Mental Health Services Act to an estimated $280 million per year.

● It’s destructive: Prop. 1 cuts services for people with mental illness. It’s a terrible irony, but an unavoidable reality. First, Prop. 1 chops 35% out of annual Mental Health Services Act money and takes it for other purposes. Then, Prop. 1 rigorously prescribes how counties must spend about half the remaining money, leaving less for voluntary mental health services. Finally, the balance of funds left over is put up for competition among mental health and other chronically under-funded services, such as substance abuse treatment.