Today I got in the mail the Automobile Club of Southern California’s ballot recommendations, limited to four of them. I’ve belonged to AAA for 25 years, and have gotten their insurance for 23.

CEO Thomas V. McKernan writes:

Dear Southern California Neighbor:

After carefully analyzing the statewide propositions, we wanted to share with you our thoughts and information on four of the propositions that are particularly important.

They’re right on two propositions. They oppose Prop. 21, which would impose an $18 per car tax to fund state parks. Even if you don’t use them. (My better idea: Privatize the parks. Turn them over to Disney.)

And they back Prop. 26, which requires “fees” to be passed with a two-thirds vote of the people. That would prevent politicians from redefining taxes, which already require a two-thirds vote of the people, as “fees” that currently require only a majority vote.

But AAA crashes and burns on two important propositions. They write:

No on Proposition 19 – Legalizes marijuana, would increase drugged driving and traffic crashes, could allow employees to come to work high, and bans employers from being able to drug test their employees for marijuana.

That’s all wrong, as I explained yesterday. Unfortunately, McKernan and AAA are part of the state’s political establishment, which opposes Prop. 19. And if they’re worried about crashes, why don’t they favor banning alcohol, which causes far more deadly accidents than the hippie lettuce, as was done during alcohol Prohibition? Down with Demon Rum!

Finally, he writes:

YES on Proposition 22 — Protects road and transit money by prohibiting the state from raiding local gas and tax funds.

Actually, Prop. 22 would guarantee the funding of redevelopment agencies that rob citizens to benefit private special interests. Such robbery violates the Fourth Amendment right to not be deprived of property without due process, and the Commandment “Thou shalt not steal.” How would McKernan like it of the government, using Prop. 22, stole his home and gave it to some rich company like Walmart?

When I was younger, I would boycott AAA for this. But nowadays, I oppose so much that companies do I’d have to boycott almost everything.

They’re still wrong. And when my insurance expires in 11 months, I’ll consider something else.

Oh, and it’s too bad they didn’t back Prop. 23, the jobs-saving proposition that would suspend the jobs-killing AB 32. When Prop. 23 loses, gas prices are going to rise. What happened to protecting California drivers?

Nov. 1, 2010