Just to start off what will probably be a spirited discussion, here’s my take on the propositions.

Let’s start with the State ones, and the subset that are easy.

Prop. 15: partial repeal of Prop. 13. Yes. Opponents say this is just the beginning of chipping away at Prop. 13. Inshallah!

Prop. 16: Affirmative Action. Yes.

Prop. 17: Restore more felon voting rights. Yes.

Prop. 18: 17 year olds allowed to vote in primary if 18 by election. Yes. But please don’t deceive yourself that this is the answer to poor voting rates among youth. I doubt if any race will be decided by these votes in the next century.

Prop. 19: More special privileges under Prop. 13 for existing homeowners. No. Let’s not vote ourselves more gimmicks to keep our own property taxes low. I am also very skeptical of analysis that governments will get more tax money in the long run.

Prop. 20: Re-grow the carceral state. No. Brought to you by the prison guards union.

Prop. 22: Uber and Lyft special pleading. No. I dislike their business model of looking for under-regulated high tech services and exploiting loopholes until lawmakers catch up. I like Berkeley’s proposed surcharge on their rides even more.

Prop. 23: Something about kidneys. No. I didn’t bother to learn about whether dialysis clinics should have physicians, or whatever this is about. Something this detailed has no business being an initiative.

Prop. 25: Cash bail. Yes. Brought to you by the bail bond industry, with the hope you will vote against it from ballot fatigue.

I found these ones more difficult.

Prop. 14: Stem cell research. No? The Federal government is going back into stem cell research. Do we still need a California plan?

Prop. 21: More rent control. Tepid Yes. I think Naomi is No. These specific additions seem OK to me. A 15-year window is more than long enough to understand the market for a new property. On the other hand, I don’t want vote in a way that may perpetuate the idea that rent control offers a solution to the Bay Area’s housing supply problem. For that reason, I’m a hard No on Berkeley’s drastic Prop. MM.

Prop. 24: OK, I am embarrassed, as a software guy, to say I haven’t researched this enough to make up my mind. I think more people I respect are on the Yes side (e.g., Ro Khanna), but there are groups recommending No who are also good, e.g., state ACLU. Maybe the fact the California Republican Party is a No means I should be a Yes.