Some of you that read this blog have probably seen this. Why is your intrepid blogger supporting a TAX INCREASE!?
Ask Joe Patterson, James Gallagher, Brian Dahle, Megan Dahle, Josh Hoover, Roger Niello, heck, ask Mike Morrell (he is a former State Senator) – they will all tell you the same thing. In order to get money to fix local roads you have to have a local funding mechanism. (See also transportation tax)
In his rage-filled tirade a local Republican activist outright lied when he said there is enough money to pay for this. No, there is not and he knows it. Ask Tracy Mendonsa, Bonnie Gore, Shanti Landon, Ken Broadway or any of the host of City Council/Town Councilmembers – they will tell you that 85-88% of their money is spent before they even get to make decisions. You can’t pay for Police, Fire and Road Construction with only 12-15% of your budget available after mandates.
It is easy to lie about the circumstances local governments face when trying to build infrastructure.
The big lie against Measure B is that it is easy to live in the “It’s a Tax” intelectually lazy soundbyte world. I tried to engage some people in a discussion of the reality of the situation that has predicated the need for Measure B. Local Government’s money was stolen TWICE by Sacramento. The first time is tying gas taxes to matching local taxes because the supermajority party did this knowing that knee-jerk no tax at anytime for any reason counties would never vote to match the state gas tax funds. Then this allows the second theft to be completed when Sacramento Liberals to send our transportation gas tax funds elsewhere.
It’s not fair – but remember Republicans like Abel Maldonado provided tie-breaking votes to give the 2/3 to create this system and now the dems have the 2/3 they need to expand this system. Until we gain 24 seats in the Assembly with real Republicans and 12 seats in the State Senate with real Republicans this system won’t change. How long do you want traffic jams in Roseville and Rocklin?
But it’s a tax, and we have to vote no is the refrain.
Placer County was eligible for $800 MILLION IN MATCHING MONEY IN 2023. But Placer did not get it because they did not have a matching revenue stream. Are Placer voters proud to know that their gas tax money is going to build $350 Million in eco-housing in LA County? Continue to fund that stuff by voting no on B – because you know, it’s a tax!
$119 Million was sent from Placer County’s gas tax to fix the port of Oakland while you sit in CA-65 for an extra 30 minutes a day stuck in traffic!
But – It’s a tax!
Let’s look a measure B another way. If you knew you could spend $1 on building something and get another $5-$9 in matching state and/or federal money would you do it? How many of you bought taxpayer-subsidized solar for your house? It is basically the same concept – but somehow that feels different than a 7.75% sales tax rate.
What self-respecting fiscal conservative would not want to take a dollar and make it $5 at least? Sometimes, that dollar could even be $9 or more depending on how many grants the county could hit at a given time!
But – It’s a tax!
In my lifetime as a Republican activist and paid consultant, I have supported exactly three tax measures. Measure D built Westpark High School. Measure E built a ton of stuff for Sierra College and was the product of a significant compromise with political leaders. It was slimmed down considerably and now there is this measure. In each case the above facts were true (85+% of money being spent, other sources of money coming open, etc.)
People rag on the Placer County Republican Party and the Republican Party in general as being the party of no. It is because in circumstances like this where there is a clear nexus for Conservatives to bite the bullet, instead of listening to reasonable arguments, soundbytes and tirades carry the day. Placer County deserves better.
Get the facts. Vote yes on B.
P.S. for those of you that wonder – where I live the sales tax is 8.265% and we have freeway and local road construction everywhere. It is glorious. US395 near where I live is being widened from 2 lanes to 4 lanes + aux lane uphill and 3 lanes + aux lanes downhill and redone interchanges. This would have never happened had Washoe County not been able to get matching federal money… all the projects you see on I-80 in the Washoe County Area are the same nexus. Think it through and ask yourself what kind of world you want in your own area!