Prop 16 Vote Will Test the Power of the Press

Pretty much every major newspaper in the state has come out against Prop 16. Often vehemently so. The measure would require municipalities currently using private energy to have a two-thirds vote if they wanted to switch to public power.

Most newspapers across the state have pegged the measure for what it is — a major giveaway to private utilities. But power company PG&E has spent 511 times more than their opponents to get the measure passed. And misleading pro-16 ads have been popping up all over the place.

If Prop 16 passes today, it will speak volumes about the remaining clout of California’s struggling newspapers. If California’s papers of record can’t convince the public of Prop 16′s inherent evil, the newspaper deathwatch everyone has been harping about may finally be at hand.

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