Anti-Recruiting Ballot Measures Succeed

New or renewed taxes approved in Arcata, Eureka, Trinidad

Humboldt Sentinel
11/5/08
By Sentinel Staff

ARCATA -- Unprecedented local laws prohibiting the unsolicited recruitment of minors by members of the armed forces are set to win in both Arcata and Eureka.

The Youth Protection Act passed by 73-27% in Arcata as Measure F and 56-44% in Eureka as Measure J, and will come into effect within 30 days unless an injunction is sought by federal authorities. Military recruiters would be charged with an infraction for initiating contact with minors in connection with their duties to enlist new members of the respective armed forces, although minors would still be able to approach recruiters.

"With such large majorities in both cities favoring the measures, it is clear that people of all political persuasions want the military to stop recruiting kids," campaign organizer and former councilmember Dave Meserve stated in a release. "This is in response to the fact that young teens are increasingly being targeted for enlistment in the armed forces, as manpower needs from two unpopular wars outpace willing volunteers."

The measures received widespread support from progressives and civil rights leaders as well as peace activists, including the local Democrats and Greens, the Redwood Chapter ACLU, Veterans for Peace Chapter 56, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and the Redwood Peace and Justice Center.

There was little in the way of organized opposition to the measures, and opponents failed to even submit an argument against Measure F in Arcata. Opponents to Measure J in Eureka noted that there were only 22 new enlistees from the 1,397 high school graduates in Humboldt County last year, leaving the new law as "trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist."

Results were favorable on Tuesday across the board for the other local ballot measures. In Eureka, Measure D, which will eliminate the utility tax in favor of a sales tax hike, won 56-44%. Its companion Measure E, a renewal of Eureka's bed tax, won in a 63-37% landslide -- the same result as the new, and larger, sales tax for Arcata, Measure G. In the eastern part of Humboldt County (and a sliver of western Trininty County), Measure H, a major school bond for the Klamath-Trinity Joint Unified School District, easily triumphed 71-29%. There was no organized opposition to any of these ballot measures.

Finally, Measure I, a renewal of Trinidad's sales tax, is six votes ahead in the preliminary final result of 91 to 85, or 51.7-48.3%. Originally adopted four years ago, tiny Trinidad's tax is controversial due to the fact that Trinidad's postal zip code overlaps to thousands of surrounding residents in unincorporated Westhaven, who are often illegitimately assessed the tax on mail-order or Internet-order products.