Los Angeles

Vote YES on Measure HH to establish a ten-year special tax of $68 per year on developed parcels within the district, in order to drive approximately $1,940,000 toward fire prevention.

Measure HH asks voters to approve a flat-rate parcel tax of $68 on developed land in the Santa Monica Mountains and Hollywood Hills, directing approximately $1,940,000 toward much-needed fire-prevention measures. This work will be carried out by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), which does not receive permanent ongoing funding from local or state taxes. Unimproved parcels are exempt from the tax, as are families earning at or below 50 percent of the median family income for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale areas. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Metro Fair Market Rents Areas are also exempt from the tax, ensuring that only those who can afford it are asked to pay.

Why voting YES on Measure HH matters:

• While climate change and record temperatures have lengthened and strengthened fire seasons, brush clearing can reduce the ease with which fires spread.
• In addition to improving brush-clearing efforts, the funds raised by Measure HH will be used to address water quality, park ranger safety, and the acquisition of additional land to be protected against development. 
• Deploy additional park ranger patrols on high fire-risk days
• Improve fire safety around Mulholland Overlooks with additional irrigation and green space
• Additional protection efforts in the region will not only keep human habitants safe, but provide species such as mountain lions and deer with the proper amount of space they need to thrive and ensure that populations do not crash.

Top Funders

• Unfortunately, financial disclosures in regards to Measure HH have not been filed electronically and are not publicly available. 
• Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife (CLAW) has been vocal in their support of Measure HH.
• No committees were formed in opposition to Measure HH.

Misinformation

There is no prominent misinformation about Measure HH.

Vote YES on Measure RR to authorize $7 billion in bonds to update and modernize public schools within the LAUSD.

Measure RR asks voters in the Los Angeles Unified School District to extend the current property tax rate that was previously authorized by voters. According to the ballot text itself, the rate and the duration of the tax may vary over the term of repayment but is estimated to be approximately $21 per $100,000 of assessed property value through 2055. Measure RR is estimated to generate roughly $330 million annually. This measure requires 55 percent voter approval.

Why voting YES on Measure RR matters:

• Measure RR will fund the desperately needed renovations for upgrading the 70 percent of Los Angeles public schools that were built over 50 years ago.
• By funding upgrades to remove lead paint, asbestos, and water-quality hazards in these schools, Measure RR is expected to create 120,000 jobs. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, a steady source of jobs over the next ten years will give a boost to the local Los Angeles economy.
• Measure RR is for technology and school facilities only; no funds will be allocated to employee or administrator salaries and is subject to strict oversight through annual independent performance and financial audits.
• COVID-19 distance-learning has greatly affected children and schools unable to afford the technology required to safely and effectively distance-learn. Measure RR will ensure that all Los Angeles public students will not be left behind in this new era of learning.

Top Funders

The committee created in support of Measure RR “Yes on Measure RR - Committee for Safe, Updated, Modernized Schools” has yet to file any contributions with the Secretary of State’s office. We are unable to provide monetary information until contributions are filed.

Misinformation

There is no prominent misinformation about Measure RR.

Vote Yes on Measure J to increase spending on housing and mental-health services while decreasing funding for law enforcement.

Measure J will divert at least 10 percent of Los Angeles County’s unrestricted funding to community-based programs, such as affordable housing and rent assistance, job training, and mental-health and social services. These funds will not be invested in police departments, jails, or prisons. Based on the current $34.9 billion budget, an estimated $360 million to $490 million will go to community-based needs. In the event of a budget emergency that threatens mandated programs, county supervisors can vote to decrease that amount.

Why Voting YES on Measure J Matters

• Los Angeles County runs the world’s largest jail system, with an inmate population of 17,000, nearly one-third of whom have mental-health concerns, making the system the largest de facto mental-health facility in the country.

• According to the RAND Corporation, more than half of the inmates in the Mental Health Unit at Los Angeles Jail are candidates for diversion to community programs rather than incarceration.

• California’s penal code criminalizes poverty, substance abuse, and mental-health illness while denying residents of color their fair share of community resources needed to thrive.

• In recent years, residents and advocates have won key victories with the Board of Supervisors, creating new investments in housing and care for those experiencing homelessness. The essential element to scale up these interventions is funding. With more than 40 percent of Los Angeles County’s local tax revenues going to incarceration and policing, there are not enough resources for programs that can make a real difference in communities. Measure J could help close this gap.

• This measure responds to the growing calls from the community to defund the police and prioritize public services by requiring that at least 10 percent of the county’s local revenues go to investments that support communities – including affordable housing, community counseling, mental-health services, youth-development programs, small businesses, and job creation.

Funders of Measure J

• Top funders in support of Measure J include philanthropists Patty Quillin and Nicole Shanahan and the ACLU of Southern California.
• Top funders in opposition to Measure J include the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs and the Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association.

Misinformation about Measure J

• "The measure will further challenge the county's essential workers, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic." -- FALSE. Funding for essential workers is not being challenged. The measure would guarantee at least 10 percent of unrestricted funding to address racial injustice, overreliance on police interventions, and health and housing disparities.
• "The measure will raise taxes." -- FALSE. The proposed ballot measure does not involve a tax increase; instead, it redistributes existing local tax revenue.