Fine print reveals money behind the arguments

Making sense of state ballot propositions is not made easy by the conflicting claims in the glossy advertisements filling our mailboxes. But thanks to the California Political Reform Act each advertisement includes a small box listing the top three funders of that campaign.

Proposition 15, according to the Peace and Freedom Party’s voter guide, would tax commercial and industrial properties based on market value, while keeping Prop. 13 tax protection for housing and farmland. Those urging a no vote on Prop. 15 infer it would hurt the small guy and especially minorities. However, the fine print reveals the no campaign’s major donors are the California Business Roundtable, California Business Properties Association, and California Taxpayers Association.

Proposition 22, according to the voter guide, would slash worker protections for appbased driving jobs to benefit the large corporations that put this on the ballot. The yes campaign claims most appbased drivers favor the proposition, but the fine print says it is funded by none other than Uber, Lyft and Door Dash.

Proposition 23, according to the voter guide, would improve regulation of kidney dialysis clinics and forbids discrimination against Medicare and Medical patients. The no campaign is funded by big dialysis care corporations.

I suggest that citizens follow the money and then vote the opposite way.— Roger D. Harris,

Corte Madera