California Newspapers Fill Out Their Ballots

From Alturas to El Centro, California newspapers in the last few weeks have offered advice on Nov. 6 candidates and ballot issues. The Times surveyed 31 publications up and down the state for a sampling of editorial recommendations. In the race for governor, 14 had endorsed Republican Pete Wilson and 10 backed Democrat Dianne Feinstein, as of Friday. On the ballot initiatives, there was consensus on some issues: Only three papers, for example, recommended a “yes” vote on Proposition 128, “Big Green.” Most said no to legislative term limits--only eight were for Proposition 131, with seven affirmative on Proposition 140. And there were only three “yes” recommendations on Proposition 136, a taxation measure with a “ballot virus” that could nullify votes on at least three other measures. In the tally below, initiatives are grouped by topic: Propositions 126 and 134 concern alcohol taxation; 128, 130, 135 and 138 are environmental measures--128 and 130 are backed by environmentalists, while 135 and 138 are industry-backed pesticide and forestry measures; 131 and 140 would both impose term limits; 136 would make it harder to pass new taxes; 137 would require that changes in the initiative process be put to a vote of the people. For details on all 28 propositions, see chart on Pages M4-M5.

PROPOSITIONS NEWSPAPER GOV. 126 134 128 130 135 138 131 Bakersfield Californian W No No No No No No Yes Contra Costa Times W No No No No No No No (Walnut Creek) Escondido Times-Advocate W Yes No No Yes No No No Eureka Times-Standard W No No No No No No No Fresno/Modesto/Sacramento Bee F Yes No No No No No No Imperial Valley Press W No No No No Yes No No (El Centro) La Opinion (Los Angeles) u Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Long Beach Press-Telegram W No No No Yes No No Yes Los Angeles Daily News W Yes No No No No No No Los Angeles Sentinel F Yes No Yes Yes No No No Marin Independent Journal F No Yes No Yes No No No Modoc County Record (Alturas) n No No Yes No No No No Monterey Herald F Yes No No Yes Yes No No Napa Register n Yes No No No No Yes No Oakland Tribune W Yes No No Yes No No Yes Orange County Register n No No No No No No No Peninsula Times Tribune F Yes No No No No No No (Palo Alto) Post (San Francisco Bay Area) F Yes No No Yes No No No Record Searchlight (Redding) W Yes No No No Yes Yes No Riverside Press-Enterprise F No No No No No No No Salinas Californian n Yes No No No No No No San Diego Union W No No No No No No No San Francisco Chronicle W Yes No No Yes Yes No No San Francisco Examiner u Yes No u u u u Yes San Jose Mercury News F Yes No No No No No Yes Santa Barbara News-Press W No Yes No No No No No Santa Rose Press Democrat F Yes No No No No No Yes Sonora Union Democrat u Yes No No No Yes Yes No Stockton Record W No No No No No No No Visalia Times-Delta W No No No Yes No No No Watsonville Register- F Yes No No No No No Yes Pajaronian

NEWSPAPER 140 136 137 Bakersfield Californian No No No Contra Costa Times No No No (Walnut Creek) Escondido Times-Advocate No No No Eureka Times-Standard Yes n n Fresno/Modesto/Sacramento Bee No No No Imperial Valley Press No No No (El Centro) La Opinion (Los Angeles) No No No Long Beach Press-Telegram No No No Los Angeles Daily News Yes No Yes Los Angeles Sentinel No No No Marin Independent Journal No No No Modoc County Record (Alturas) Yes No No Monterey Herald No No No Napa Register Yes No No Oakland Tribune No No No Orange County Register Yes Yes Yes Peninsula Times Tribune No No No (Palo Alto) Post (San Francisco Bay Area) No No No Record Searchlight (Redding) No No No Riverside Press-Enterprise No No No Salinas Californian No No Yes San Diego Union No No No San Francisco Chronicle Yes Yes Yes San Francisco Examiner No n n San Jose Mercury News No No No Santa Barbara News-Press No No No Santa Rose Press Democrat No No No Sonora Union Democrat Yes Yes n Stockton Record No No No Visalia Times-Delta No No No Watsonville Register- No No No Pajaronian

NOTES: W = Pete Wilson; F = Dianne Feinstein; u = Undeclared; n = No recommendation.