Today another burst of social media against Measure B began at 2PM PST.
Los Angeles County is home to 9.9 million persons, and on November 8, 2008 Barack Obama received 2,295,853 votes or 69.22%, while McCain received 956,425 votes or 28.84%. In that year one countywide ballot measures recorded the following votes: the LA METRO TRANS AUTHORITY measure received 2,039,214 yes votes or 67.93%, and 962,569 no votes (32.07%) in 4,883 precincts. The UNINCORP LACO USERS' TAX in the unincorporated parts of the county recorded these results: Yes - 185,246 votes (62.92%) and No - 109,190 votes or 37.08% in just 706 precincts. The Unincorporated precincts are home to about 10% of registered and actual voters.
More than 300,000 votes did not bother to vote on the countywide measure. Those that did vote approved taxes. LA County voters are not rabidly anti-government, tax dodging conservatives in the Romney/Ryan mold.
This year a bizarre measure is on the ballot, Measure B, which reads:
Shall an ordinance be adopted requiring producers of adult films to obtain a County public health permit, to require adult film performers to use condoms while engaged in sex acts, to provide proof of blood borne pathogen training course, to post permit and notices to performers, and making violations of the ordinance subject to civil fines and criminal charges?
It has been referred to as the Measure B - Safer Sex In the Adult Film Industry Act, condoms in porn, and
government waste. Today a social media blitz by adult entertainers opposed to the measure could help define the measure, and in a pro-government, pro-tax, progressive universe, the campaign against Measure B needs a progressive frame for most voters.
Right now both pro- and anti- campaigns are speaking to Romney/Ryan voters, and the whole reason this cynical ballot measure is on the ballot, most likely, is to turn out social conservatives and change California politics by affecting down ballot races, if not to enable a freak GOP win statewide. Somehow, a well connected GOP press flack - James Lee - has ended up running the principle anti- measure campaign, and only right-wing, anti-government frames are being activated in this contest.
The time is now for sex positive, pro-free speech progressives to make the case for voting NO on Measure B. What can you contribute to today's social media blitz?
The scratch pad: This is a diary in progress and I am hoping to crowd source this just a bit, be patient with me and share your best ideas!
How to craft a progressive message?
I have suggested that Measure B opponents use the Message Box exercise in the progressive campaign manual Politics the Wellstone Way
Our opponent this case is AHF, Michael Weinstein's Aids Healthcare Foundation
They are on social media with twitter handles like @YesonB and @AIDSHealthcare
Among the things they say about themselves and their cause is a claim to be for public health, and to have support from well esteemed medical associations and public health professional associations, who are actually absent on social media in support of Michael Weinstein and his cynical ballot measure, : e.g. searches @PublicHealth makes no mention of it in their twitter timeline. They deny that this is an attack on free speech, and that public health orgs and the AMA support them.
In fact we know that AHF is opposed to free speech but they have received legal counsel that recommends hiding their anti-free speech agenda:
as proponents of a ballot initiative, anything we say can be used to determine the “intent” behind the initiative. A law whose “intent” is to require film producers to “send a message” about safer sex could violate the First Amendment.
How to mount a winning campaign against Measure B in Los Angeles County?
Win number: probably 1.5 million no votes are needed!
A successful campaign will have to deliver 50% + 1 of the total votes cast. Based on recent ballot measure history in LA County, a distrust of government and government spending alone can't get there.
Is Performer Choice Alone Enough?
Does Shelly Lubben remind you of Michele Bachmann?
AHF has partnered with the radical right-wing religious fundamentalists to shake down the porn industry: