Lifting the Veil

Supporters of Measure YV - Vote 16 Culver City argue that the majority of 16- and 17-year-olds are mature enough to make informed voting decisions. That they pay taxes and therefore should have a direct legal say in what taxes are raised and how the money should be spent. And that people who vote at an early age are more likely to be civically engaged throughout their lives.

NONE of these arguments hold up under minimal fact-checking. (See the Home page at www.Vote16CulverCity.com)

So what is the motivation of the three Culver City Council people – Mayor Freddy Puza, Vice Mayor Bubba Fish, Councilperson Yasmine-Imani McMorran - to support Vote 16 Culver City. Why do they repeatedly support lowering the voting age even after the citizens of Culver City have already signaled TWICE that they do NOT support the effort.

This is all about the three of them being the most visible members of a small ideologically-driven political group in Culver City, who have already been reprimanded by the Superintendent of Schools for unauthorized political action on school grounds, working to establish what would instantly be the largest organized voting block in Culver City – a block that is highly susceptible to peer pressure, outside influence, and one-sided ideological arguments.

Only a few hundred votes separate winning and losing candidates and measures in Culver City elections. Adding over 1,000 16- and 17-year-old voters will instantly make them the deciding voting block for any candidate or issue, and give this political group the power to dominate the Culver City government agenda for years to come.

If you don't like that the City went $30,000,000 in debt a few months ago to fund low income housing and then put a "special tax" on this election's ballot to pay for school improvements; If you don't like that Vote 16 Culver City is on the ballot again because a few students asked for it, yet when HUNDREDS of citizens asked for the Overland Project to ALSO be put on the ballot Mayor Freddy Puza voted NO and Vice Mayor Bubba Fish said that the Overland Project is a settled matter; If you don't like that Mayor Freddy Puza chose to ignore the democratic process and cast the deciding vote to put the SAME Vote 16 Culver City measure on the ballot again because he didn't like the results of the past two efforts (Trump-style Election Denial);  then…

Please Vote NO on Measure YV.