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If you fall for ads like this, which as you must know have been playing 24/7 for what seems like months:
…then you my friend are a SAP. [definition 5. Slang. a fool; dupe.]
And actually you probably aren’t, since you’re smart enough to be reading this blog. But the polling trends are worrying, these stupid-ass ads ARE having an effect. Most of the ones I’ve heard on the radio and seen on TV are worse than this, worse than what I could find on YouTube. 
But they all have two things in common, two focus-group-tested catchphrases they repeat like a damn mantra: “ONE POLITICIAN” having control over health costs, and “SPECIAL INTERESTS” telling that one politician what to do.
First of all, thank God for the laws that force these advertisers (who’ve spent $55 million so far to try to defeat this important initiative) to identify themselves – and as you’ll see if you look, it is HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES paying for this. HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES telling scare stories to try to convince you that HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES shouldn’t have their ability to raise rates regulated. Wouldn’t you say they start on a bad foot, credibility-wise, right there?
But those two mantras really get under my skin:
“ONE POLITICIAN.” This is a guy we VOTE for, to do this job! He’s our man, whom we elect to restrict the abuses of an industry which has been robbing and killing us for decades. And we’re supposed to trust him less than THEM, just because they call him a “politician?” We just happen to have one of the BEST INSURANCE COMMISSIONERS EVER right now, someone who really stands up to the profiteers – DAVE JONES! (left) And, since he’s a “politician,” if he doesn’t look out for California’s people properly, we can vote him right the hell out. (Actually due to term limits, we’ll be picking a new one in 2018 – let’s hope we find one as good as Dave!)
And “SPECIAL INTERESTS.” What kind of shamelessness does it take for a gaggle of big health insurance companies to call anyone “special interests,” especially — who COULD they be referring to? — the folks who don’t WANT to pay excessive rate hikes — you and me? The insurance companies are calling you and me “special interests?” Take a deep whiff of that chutzpah and reel.
Do they have you a little confused with that dichotomy, “a clear choice,” between an independent (Obamacare) commission versus the proposed new power of our groovy commissioner? Well, thankfully I don’t have to explain that, because just an hour ago, over my “TRANSOM,” came this very invaluable video from the Courage Campaign’s Dr. Paul Song, which will straighten out ALL the lies for you, and allow me to move on to some other pressing issues. Just remember – DON’T BE A SAP! VOTE YES ON 45!
This is one of the most important votes that people will cast in this election. I hope that they aren’t fooled by the big insurers, who surely have big premium increases ready to go if they win!
Wow! I’m glad I’ve waited to cast my mail-in ballot.
Seeing nice Doctors and nurses tell us to reject “politicians” IS confusing and quite effective.
I will keep supporting patients, ObamaCare. and hold insurance companies feet to the fire–see how devious and sneaky they are? Yeah, right, “special interests…
I don’t think one is a sap to fall prey to these types of ads, though, Vern. I think folks who dont stay right the fuck up on top of issues are easily swayed by stereotypes and buzz phrases. And for sure some of the radioactive turds to pick up on are:
SPECIAL INTERESTS
POLITICIANS “ONE” POLITICIAN (eew poiticians!)
POWER GRAB
MONEY GRAB
INSURANCE COMMISSIONER BECOME THE “CZAR” OF HEALTH INSURANCE
THE DOCS AND NURSES THEMSELVES WHO GOT PAID TO MAKE THESE SLEAZY ADS AND SELL OUT THE NURSES ASSOCIATION, THE LATINO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND “EMERGENCY” MEDICINE- they are saps laughing all the way to the bank They have the nerve to put their names and faces on literature! It really can confuse people who are trying to go by what sounds right.
In response to Bradley L. Jacobs letter to the editor on October 26, 2014, Claude Parrish’s ideas to create a “Taxpayer’s Advocate Office” and to establish another office in South Orange County are both great proposals. Contrary to Mr. Jacob’s belief, if the Assessor was in fact a taxpayer’s advocate there would not be the currently existing unequal and inconsistent treatment of taxpayers in Orange County. There would not be thousands of appeals filed every year. It would not take over a year to have your assessment appeals hearing. It would be unnecessary to appeal the same issue year after year. There would not be a need for several Assessment Appeals Boards, Hearing Officers, and property tax agents would be extinct.
The sad reality is that many taxpayers are being over assessed on their properties, and most of them don’t know it. The Assessor doesn’t do anything about it, and instead hangs on to any technicalities that he can find to avoid correcting these assessments. The Assessor, like the IRS, and the Franchise Tax Board, has 4 years to correct any bad valuations, yet they often cop out by claiming that unless an assessment appeal is filed by September 15th nothing can be done about their issues; or by making unreasonable documentation requests; such as in a recent taxpayer’s audit, requesting invoices over 30 years old.
The increased frequency and magnitude of assessment errors is attributable to lack of Assessor leadership and his distractions with other tasks outside of his constitutional mandated duties. In addition, poorly trained staff, and clerical promotions to professional appraisal and management positions not qualified to hold, compound the problem. Results are evident by lack of critical thinking, communication skills, and fear of decision making.
When the Real Estate market turned for the worse, under Bradley L. Jacobs’s watch, the manager’s plea for action was unanswered and no relief was granted to declining properties. The Assessor chose to sit back and take no action. The results were an unprecedented number of appeals filed and a lot of taxpayer’s money and efforts were wasted that could have been avoided. Under Webster Guillory’s tour of duty, the obsession of a computer tax system that has proved non-functional and highly expensive and a burden to the taxpayers of Orange County for a long time to come. An independent Taxpayer’s Advocate Office would be an invaluable asset to the average taxpayer in Orange County giving them the same access to the resources and tools that large taxpayers take advantage of.
Establishing another Assessor’s branch in Orange County would offer not just convenience but also value to the taxpayers of Orange County. Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties have successfully established and maintain satellite offices within their counties for years. A new satellite office is not a new concept in Orange County. It has been proposed before and submitted to County Administration for consideration and funding. It was never considered high priority, or aggressively pursued by the current Assessor.
My name is Jorge O. Lopez, I worked for the Orange County Assessor’s Office for 32 years, and I ran for the Office of Orange County Assessor in June of 2014.
From: PropTaxer@aol.com
To: kkyle@ocregister.com
Sent: 10/29/2014 4:35:46 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: O C REGISTER letter to the Editor
Thought you might be interested in this e-mail from Jorge Lopez. Thousands and thousands of home owners have been Illegality over assessed. The Assessor Webster Guilory has stated he has given back 1.6 billion Dollars. WRONG! On the other hand, he has over taxed home owners by 2 billion Dollars. The Board of Supervisors do not complain because it helps them meet their budget requirements. They should know better and they do. Did they do anything about it? NO they did not.
Everyone knows home values decreased starting in 2008. The Assessor didn’t know? After spending millions of Dollars on a computer system, all that is required to lower the values, is a decision. That decision was not made by the Assessor. Every one of those over assessments, are ILLEGAL May I remind you, The only job the Assessor has is to VALUE property at MARKET value. The same thing happened under Brad Jacobs.
The Assessor, Webster Guillory, committed perjury when he signed ELECTION FORMS. The Orange County District Attorney INDITED Guillory FOR 3 FELONIES. The Orange County Board of Supervisors investigated and found he had done NOTHING WRONG. The forms are the basis of the American Election Process. our Constitutional Rights to a Free election process has be comprimised.
The State Board of Equalization sited Webster Guilory for multiple Assessment violations. Among those violations are the non assessment of properties. How does the ordinary taxpayer get such a good deal? He DOES NOT!. Only the good guys gets deals like that.
Larry Bales
BALES – Old-school whistleblower and muckraker! Last seen applying for the clerk-recorder gig. Spitzer looked at his record and deemed him “not a team player.”
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2013/04/live-dirty-your-county-clerk-recorder-special-coverage/
Welcome to the mosh pit, sir!
My support for Claude Parrish for Assessor is 1/3 due to Webster Guillory’s mismanagement (which needs to be thoroughly aired out) and 2/3 due to my respect for Jorge Lopez, who would have been a great Assessor, and who says that Parrish is the best choice here. Jorge knows more about these issues than almost anyone else in the county; if he says to go with Parrish, that really is good enough for me. I hope that Parrish makes good use of Jorge’s skills once elected — rather than pushing him out of the office for righteous whistleblowing, as Guillory did.