Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca Announces Support for Proposition 22

Prop. 22 Protects Funding for Local Sheriff, Police, Fire and Other Public Safety Services by Stopping State Raids of City, County and other Local Government Funds

For Immediate Release: August 26, 2010

Contact: Kathy Fairbanks: (916) 443-0872

Sacramento, CA – The Yes on 22 campaign, Californians to Protect Local Taxpayers and Vital Services, announced today that Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has formally endorsed Proposition 22 on the November ballot.

Sheriff Baca joins more than 500 police and sheriff, firefighter, and other public safety, local government, community, transit, transportation, business, labor, and taxpayer groups supporting Proposition 22. Click here for a complete list of supporters. Prop. 22 will prevent the State from taking, diverting or borrowing local government, transportation and public transit funds.

“As the chief law enforcement official in Los Angeles County, I’ve taken an oath to protect the public’s safety and well-being,” said LA County Sheriff Lee Baca. “It’s an oath I take very, very seriously. But state raids of local government funds jeopardize our ability to fight crime, protect the public, and to respond to emergencies by limiting the financial resources we need to put deputies and equipment on the street. Prop. 22 protects public safety services by stopping state raids of local funds.”

Yes on 22 will:

• STOP the State from taking or borrowing local tax dollars dedicated to cities and counties to fund vital local services like 9-1-1 response, police, sheriff, and fire protection.

• STOP the State from taking or diverting gas taxes we pay at the pump that voters have dedicated to local road repairs, transportation improvements, and public transportation.