Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been a proponent of the nonpartisan redistricting commission since his time in office, when voters created the panel in 2008 to draw congressional districts based on the shared social or economic interests of communities, as opposed to political affiliation. He has campaigned against Proposition 50.
“There’s this war going on all over the United States: who can out-cheat the other one. Texas started it, they did something terribly wrong, and then all of a sudden, California says now we have to do something terribly wrong, and now other states are jumping in, and now it’s just spreading like wildfire all over the country. And the ones that are getting left behind are the people,” Schwarzenegger told CNN.
Some voters at San Francisco City Hall on Thursday expressed similar reluctance.
“ If the Democrats had put together a political and economic appeal that resonated with voters, then they wouldn’t need to be doing this,” said Mark Salomon, who lives in the city’s Mission District.
Salomon said Proposition 50 is a result of Democrats failing to focus on what voters want and losing the last election.
“ So instead of coming forth with a political program on Medicare for all, expanding social security, education and housing issues, they’ve got nothing. So instead they have to rig the game to fight a guy who’s rigging the game,” Salomon said.
Others, like Shidume Lozada, had no misgivings about voting yes on 50.
“ I feel like extreme measures need to be taken right now,” Lozada said. “I feel like the Republican Party is playing extremely dirty. It’s beyond un-American. So if this is what needs to happen, then this is what needs to happen.”
KQED’s Marisa Lagos contributed to this report.
