"Santa Clara County residents should vote "no" on Measure A, the 5/8ths-of-a-cent sales tax for a variety of reasons. First, this tax was conceived behind closed doors with no public discussion about whether it's needed. The tax was rolled out two days before the Board of Supervisors voted to put it on the ballot, which isn't enough time to let the public digest the pros and cons of the measure."
"Second, the county should have commissioned an outside independent audit to see if there's any fat in the government, and if so, how much can be cut. We're not talking about the typical annual audits which rubber-stamp normal spending, but an in-depth look by an outside accounting firm like Deloitte, PwC, Ernst & Young or KPMG. The audit should be released publicly without the county editing it to remove embarrassing information."
"Fourth, a sales tax is regressive, meaning it hits poor and middle-income residents the hardest because they spend a higher percentage of their money on taxable goods than the wealthy. Sadly, our elitist politicians believe in taxing the poor and sparing the rich. We can't recommend Measure A. Too many problems. Too risky. The county's leaders need to spend a year rethinking this tax and, if it is really necessary, putting it on the November 2026 ballot."
Measure A is a proposed 5/8ths-of-a-cent sales tax placed on the ballot with minimal public notice and limited time for voters to evaluate it. The county did not commission an outside independent audit to identify potential waste or savings, and any such audit should be released publicly without editing. The measure requires only a simple majority, permitting allocation of the estimated $330 million without specific spending designations. A sales tax disproportionately burdens poor and middle-income residents. Alternatives include taxing large corporations. The recommendation is to delay reconsideration for a year and, if necessary, place the tax on the November 2026 ballot.
Read at Padailypost
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