Most area measures pass
L.A. phone tax approved nearly 2 to 1. Voters also back several school bonds.
Voters in four Southern California counties gave a warm reception to an array of local tax measures, preserving a handful of telephone utility taxes and approving half a dozen school construction bonds, according to morning precinct tallies.
With Tuesday's voter turnout buoyed by the presidential primary campaign, the city of Los Angeles saw Proposition S, a $243-million telephone tax seen as a defense against a faltering economy, winning by nearly 2 to 1, with about 66% of voters in favor. And three of every four voters were in favor of a facilities bond measure for the Long Beach Community College District.
Three other cities in addition to Los Angeles had placed telephone taxes on the ballot in an attempt to make them invulnerable to legal challenge. Huntington Park voters overwhelmingly supported Measure B, a communications users tax that won approval from roughly 79% of voters. And Measure D, a telephone tax in Pasadena that would generate $10 million annually, passed with about 58% of voters in favor.
In other contests, voters passed a measure to restrict roosters in Riverside and 53% narrowly approved a new City Hall for Newport Beach. Voters in Santa Ana supported term limit measures.
Voters in southern Los Angeles County also chose Democrat Warren Furutani, a Los Angeles Community College District board member, to fill the 55th Assembly District seat left vacant by the election of Assemblywoman Laura Richardson (D-Long Beach) to Congress last year.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa thanked voters Tuesday for supporting Proposition S but warned that the city faced dire financial straits even with the passage of the tax. But L.A. Police Chief William J. Bratton, who played a pivotal role in the campaign, said voters sent a message about the need to reduce crime and continue hiring police officers.
"This vote shows that Angelenos understand the strides we have made in public safety," said Bratton, who appeared in 15-second television spots and campaign mailers for Proposition S.
Villaraigosa raised $3 million for the measure, compared with $5,100 collected by foes of the tax, who relied primarily on free media. Proposition S opponent Walter Moore said deceptive ballot language, such as the decision to sell Proposition S as a tax cut, helped fuel the strong returns for the telephone tax.
"The proponents got away with it by fooling people who showed up for the presidential primary but don't really pay attention to local politics," he said.
