San Marcos, CA Proposition G

Topics: Ballot Measures | Organizing

A Wal-Mart spokesman in the Golden State told reporters March 2nd, 2004, “When voters are asked whether they want the benefits of Wal-Mart Supercenters, we see time and time again that they say yes.” But they didn’t say “Yes” in San Marcos, where a controversial Proposition G was soundly defeated. Initial press reports showed that with 98% of the precincts reporting, the “NO” vote drew 6,883 voters (60.6%) and those in favor of Wal-Mart only 4,482 (39.4%). By any standards, Wal-Mart has suffering a huge defeat at the hands of a vocal majority in San Marcos. “It’s been a long, long road,” said Randy Walton, one of the leaders of Save San Marcos, a citizen’s group formed last summer to reverse a narrow decision by the city council to approve a 139,000-square-foot store. “It’s pretty remarkable for a group of citizens to get outspent by the amount we were.” Although final campaign spending reports are not in, Wal-Mart proponents spent roughly $22 per vote in their losing cause--at least $100,000. Save San Marcos spent only one-tenth that amount. The leader of the pro Wal-Mart campaign, the wife of the Vice Mayor who voted for Wal-Mart, was quoted in the North County Times as saying, “It went to the voters, if it’s pulling off to a no that’s what the voters of San Marcos want.” The store was approved originally by a 3-2 vote of the City Council. Opponents tried to get the council to vote to rescind their position, but the Council allowed Proposition G to go to the voters, where Wal-Mart was rejected