EDITORIAL : STOP POLITICAL EXTORTION.

SACRAMENTO played a dirty political trick on the voters when it put Proposition 172 on a statewide special election ballot in 1993.

Proposition 172, which passed, provided for a half-cent increase in the sales tax statewide to partially replace property tax revenues that the state took from local agencies during the recession to help pay for public education. The funds raised by Proposition 172 were earmarked for local public safety.

To encourage its passage, the Legislature and Gov. Pete Wilson put language in Proposition 172 stating that the new money would only go to counties where a majority of the voters supported it. If they didn't, the money raised by the new tax might go elsewhere.

That was political extortion, pure and simple. Politicians who were elected to serve the people instead used their powers to bully the people to vote a certain way.

Fortunately, the Legislature later recognized the error of its ways. It subsequently voted to put a constitutional amendment - Proposition 219 - on the ballot to prohibit such shenanigans in the future.

The secret ballot was established to protect voters from retaliation if they didn't follow the orders of political bosses. Proposition 219 similarly protects the integrity of the democratic process as far as ballot measures are concerned and deserves the support of every voter.

PROP. 219 AT A GLANCE

Here is a summary of Proposition 219 on the June 2 state primary election ballot:

Ballot measures: Would amend the state constitution to make it unlawful to include in any ballot measure language that would include and exclude any political jurisdiction from the application of the measure based upon how the people in that jurisdiction voted.

The Daily News recommends: Yes

CAPTION(S):

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BOX: PROP. 219 AT A GLANCE (see text)