There’s a lot more to the polls than just Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump, but these two are rightfully getting an outsized amount of attention.

To repeat an old political cliché, the race for the White House is sucking all the oxygen out. Voters can’t help but focus on the close presidential race and wonder as they scan the rest of California’s ballot.

It doesn’t help that this year’s state voting measures are extremely boring. Well, Crime Prevention Proposal 36 may not be that important. But the rest is mostly eye-covering.

But there are three things that are definitely important. They can impact Californians’ lives and people’s wallets.

Voters are being asked to add $20 billion to the state’s debt to modernize school facilities, suppress wildfires and prevent climate-related disasters of all kinds. This is a big trade-off. That means more national debt for much-needed infrastructure upgrades.

That’s what the two proposals are about.

The third would make it easier for local governments to issue bonds, or borrow money, to build affordable housing and public works projects. When you repay this local bond, your property tax will be slightly higher.

The specific items to vote on are as follows.

Proposition 2 is a $10 billion bond issue to repair, modernize, and build K-12 school and community college facilities.

Proposition 4 is another $10 billion bond proposal. It would pay for projects that store water, clean contaminated water, reduce the risk of wildfires, prepare for sea level rise, and protect fish and wildlife.

Prop. 5 is a big problem for local communities. The measure would reduce the number of votes needed to pass bonds for public infrastructure such as affordable housing, roads, fire stations and water treatment plants from two-thirds to 55%.

Proposals 2 and 4 potential projects all sound great. But what makes me wince is the long payoff period. Proposition 2 is $500 million a year for 35 years, and Proposition 4 is $400 million a year for 40 years.

My great-grandson will help pay off that bond.

People promoting government bonds liken them to taking out a mortgage to buy a house. But no one can afford a 40-year mortgage. The longer the repayment period, the higher the interest costs.

But Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature wanted to keep the annual payments as low as possible while in office. Let future generations of public officials worry about the $900 million annual hit to the national budget.

Even without Propositions 2 and 4, the state still pays about $6 billion a year on its $80 billion bond debt, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analysis Service. Additionally, voters have approved about $35 billion in bonds that have yet to be sold.

The state is still paying off some old school bonds dating back 50 years.

“Let’s start with the fact that Californians are already overtaxed. Sacramento is flooded with tax revenue. So why do we increase our debt? If we need something… , you just have to pay the money, right? [with cash] From the general fund? asks John Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. He opposes all three voting measures.

The answer is that the Democratic governor and Legislature have many competing spending priorities to finance a precarious budget that is at risk of going into the red for the foreseeable future.

Therefore, the only way many public works projects are financed is through voter-approved bonds.

Nick Hardeman, Proposition 2’s campaign manager, says the state is running out of school bond money.

“A roof, like your home, has a finite lifespan. If it leaks, it will never be the same. The situation will only get worse. California has $4 billion in backlogged school repairs. ,” Hardeman said.

The measure would provide $8.5 billion for K-12 schools and $1.5 billion for community colleges. To be eligible to receive state funding, local governments must contribute an equal amount of funding.

One particularly good spend is $600 million for “Career Tech” (what was once called “Shop”). Unfortunately, there is no more money.

“Not every child is expected to go to college,” Hardeman points out. “It’s like future plumbers and electricians. They get an early start with an apprenticeship program.”

Proposition 4 is a buffet of water and climate funds with minimal pork, unlike some past park bonds. It includes $3.8 billion for water, $1.5 billion for wildfire prevention, $1.2 billion for protection from sea level rise, $1.2 billion for fish and wildlife habitat, and other climate-related funding.

“This bond advances many of the governor’s priorities,” says Proposition 4 campaign chairman Alfredo Gonzalez. But surprisingly, Newsom wasn’t actually involved in drafting the bill, he added.

Proposition 5 lowers the voter threshold for passage of most municipal bonds to 55%. This is the same as school bonds have been for the past 20 years.

I have always believed that most matters should be decided by majority vote.

“One-third of the community shouldn’t be making decisions for the other two-thirds,” said Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar Curry (D-Winters), a former City Council member who has pushed for majority rule for years. ) says. She ultimately won Congressional passage of Proposition 5.

A poll conducted last month by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California showed voters are almost evenly split on Proposition 5. This means that Proposition 5 is in trouble.

Voters narrowly supported Prop. 2 (54%) and had no trouble supporting Prop. 4 (65%). However, it is likely that few people had a good idea of ​​what the measures would entail.

“A $10 billion bond is a lot of money,” said PPIC pollster Mark Baldassare. “It’s definitely a lot of money for two.”

Yes, but they add up to a worthwhile investment.