Both Sides of Prop. A

I don’t live in the City of San Diego, so I will be unable to vote on the Proposition A managed growth initiative Nov. 5. However, San Diego voters and voters everywhere should be worried about the growing influence of paid professional political consultants in our elections.

Every San Diegan abhors the specter of Los Angeles sprawl, smog and traffic congestion. So campaign pros hired to defeat a growth control measure prey on that fear--they contend that abiding by the city’s adopted Growth Management Plan will mean that dreaded development will have to occur in “your neighborhood!”

Consequently, billboards that say “No LA--No on A” sound plausible, even though the lack of growth management is what helped make Los Angeles what it is today!

It’s depressing that such deliberate distortion of the issues works; yet even more distressing is the number of informed people who understand the facts have been twisted but view it as cute and effective, affording it the kind of respect reserved for bright national television ads for Xerox or light beer. The initiative process in California has traditionally been the people’s last resort to overcome the procrastination and neglect of politicians who won’t buck special interests. Now the initiative option is being foreclosed through expensive election campaigns designed to “sell” the voter, regardless of the facts. And these campaigns are usually bankrolled by those same special interests to protect their influential role in the decision-making process.

In order to restore integrity to our elections, we have to place some limitations on campaigns. Along with deliberate misrepresentation of the facts, last-minute “hit pieces” are a routine strategy for today’s professional consultants. Inflammatory, emotional mailers are received by voters the weekend before the election. Just as consumers are at least partially protected by “truth in advertising” laws, voters should be able to rely on the accuracy of campaign materials.

CHRIS HEISERMAN

Spring Valley