Poll: Will You Vote for the Half-Cent Sales Tax Increase?

Lionel Emde July 30, 2012 at 10:06 pm

"Supervisor Dave Pine, the one dissenting vote of the five supervisors, said this would hurt local businesses and disproportionately impact low-income residents."
Thank you Mr. Pine. Sales taxes are regressive, they fall most heavily on low-income people. It seems state, local, and county government hasn't got any other ideas left. I vote no.

John Kevranian July 30, 2012 at 10:37 pm

Thank you Supervisor Dave Pine for voting against the County sales tax increase!

Denny Lawhern July 30, 2012 at 10:44 pm

no new taxes for anyone ,just say no to everyone

watchfultaxpayer July 31, 2012 at 05:00 am

There were two $$$ raisers on the ballot for the SBPSD within the past two years. Both were defeated. I thought I remembered one was a bond and one was a parcel tax. They paid some polling outfit lots of $$$ to 'poll' and judge whether it would fly. They said it would and it didn't. More taxpayer $$$ down the drain. That $$$ would have paid for a couple more Instructional aides or another teacher...something directly related to educating children. They could have sat down at the district office a couple of hours here and there and randomly called (on the 'new' phone system) the citizens of San Bruno to see if they supported it. Neither method is scientific and doing it themselves would have been more ';cost efficient.' Anyone else remember that?? It was either last year or the year before. The SBPSD does not have a good track record in spending money regardless of its source. So until the SBPSD is under new management, I don't imagine I will vote for anymore taxes, parcel or otherwise.

watchfultaxpayer July 31, 2012 at 05:14 am

As for sales tax being regressive and 'unfair' to low-income people, sales tax might be the only tax many low-income people have to pay.The earned income tax credit (EIC) returns handsome sums of $$$ to people in low-income brackets and their tax obligation is zilch. 47 % of income earners in America pay NO tax.The ley, of course, is to have children, three beng the optimal number. I know this to be true. My nephew practices it much to my shame.. He reaps other benefits including Medi-Cal, WIC, food stamps, free school lunches and other assorted benefits. Being low-income can reap rewards. I am not for raising sales tax not because it is regressive. But because my money they collect is wasted..

Buck Shaw July 31, 2012 at 02:59 pm

The bond monies always always goes back into the general fund and gets lost if your trying to fallow it. The oversite committee's are cronies of the school district and you can't get on them to see where it goes. Its an old trick. I dare you to get on that oversite group or even try to find out who's on it. Then you'll understand.
Schools devide and councour then your child moves on. So you do to. Then they do it again to the newbies. When your 60 years old you've seen it time and time again. But the younger taxpayers don't believe you. Such is the problem. The school districts and taxing authorities use your virtues against you. " The Poor ________ fill in the blank" then you guilt yourself into going there way..

Buck Shaw July 31, 2012 at 03:06 pm

They use your virtures to guilt you into paying for them. Them being Children or Low income the list is long.

M Z July 31, 2012 at 04:58 pm

We are still paying for the 1998 bond on our property taxes.

Lionel Emde August 1, 2012 at 02:01 am

That's absurd. In this county (San Mateo) the living wage for a family of two with an apartment is about $28 per hour. If your nephew has to take government assistence to make it, just be glad it's there. Sales taxes are regressive, and as a percentage of income, are felt most by low-income people. Do you really want desperate people wandering the streets seeking assistance?

watchfultaxpayer August 1, 2012 at 06:22 pm

What is absurd is that people, my nephew included, have their beds featherd by taxpayers by being and planning to remain low income which removes the incentive to feather their own beds. I'll say again, Lionel, when sales tax are the only tax one is paying it is not unreasonable to ask low income to pay it. I hate seeing children picked up after a free day at a tax supported schoo-lbreakfast,lunch,after school care, snacks, school supplies-by parents in new SUV's, minivans,step-sides,and Lexus. I hate to see women shopping with WIC tickets & a healthy, able-bodied man in tow. I hate to see people paying in MSs/Lunard'is with an EBT card then taking $100 cash from it to pay for liquor. I hate to KNOW welfare recipients do not have to drug test for benefits but my immediate family and I are subject to random drug testing to earn money to pay taxes to pay benefits to recipients who are not required to drug test and can buy their childen junk food with their EBT card.Then we pay for their health care ? The constitution does not guarantee one can live any place one chooses. The Bay Area is and has always been an expensive place to live due to the temperate weather and natural beauty. I don't earn enough to live in Marin county. One should choose to live where one can afford to live. I can presently afford to live in San Mateo County, not Hillsborough or Atherton. I won't be able to though if I have to continue to subsdize those for eternity who can't afford to live here.

Lionel Emde August 2, 2012 at 01:57 am

I sympathise with your personal difficulties, I share them living in this very expensive county, HOWEVER, we, to some extent, must try to help those less fortunate. If your personal example doesn't measure up, well, it may not reflect the general need.

Buck Shaw August 2, 2012 at 03:00 am

Who is "General Need"? He is not my general. If you feel the "NEED" then you do it yourself. It is not my guilt it is your guilt. "We to some extent" "We"? "We"? Did you ask me? NO! So I will ask you? Please show me where it says. We must try to help those less fortunate. Sounds like there are more than one or two nephews around.

watchfultaxpayer August 2, 2012 at 05:09 am

I believe in helping people down on their luck. A hand up. I do not, however believe in being party to making public assistance addicts out of people who are able to find some kind of work, move to an area where there is more work and cost less to live there,, take work they consider beneath them and/or stop having chidren they cannot feed, clothe and house. My nephew is just one small example that I illustrated above. Take a look around you when shopping. It is very visible, even glaring at Safeway and Lucky. This county was founded on the principle of individual effort. We have made dependants on three generations of people. Someday I am fairly sure we will become a country not unsimilar to France and England and several others. When more are on public assistance than earn, your income tax will rise to 60% or more. Nothing is ever free and the government doesn't earn money. They take it from taxpayers. Why do you think so many high earning Europeans take up residence in America? Rock stars come to mind.The public health service is not worth the 60% loss in income.

Buck Shaw August 2, 2012 at 11:00 am

Thank You , Mr. "watchfultaxpayer" I couldn't have said it better. I was directing my comments at "Lionel" and using your nephew as a good example. Even though when using Examples you can allways shoot a hole in them.

Lionel Emde August 3, 2012 at 12:58 am

Jeez, if this is the general level of knowledge on this board we really are in trouble.
France or England? They have public health care systems, unlike here. Every industrialized country has that, except this one. Do try getting outside of your comfort zone once in a while.

watchfultaxpayer August 3, 2012 at 05:32 am

Ad hominem, Lionel ??? You would lose big points in a formal debate.
You seem to think that what France and England and other industrialized countries do should be what America should aspire to do. Just because they do something doesn't make it a good thing to do.Sometimes they do things that force us to have to go and pull their rear ends out of the fire and then rebuild their countries. Why don't yoiu talk to individuals who have had experiences with France's nationali healh care system. How long they wait for a doctor's appointment. How much longer they wait to see a specialist. How limited payments to doctors has resulted in less than stellar doctors. AND are you ready to pay 60 % of your income to have your touted public health care system??? You tell me, who is going to pay for the 40 to 50 % of people in this country who will be subsidized??? Perhaps you might read my upper paragraph again. I was acknowledging that they have national health care. And how much ciitizens there pay in tax in order TO have it.

Buck Shaw August 3, 2012 at 05:24 pm

Satisticly who lives longer and has a happyer golden years? Why did the Gov. of a Canadian province go to Florida for health care? Ask a new colledge grad if he or she thinks its wise to go into the health care field now that we have Obamacare? The new Deduction for medical expenses is 10% not the old 7.5%. No more deductions for medical devices. That is hearing aids, leg braces, hot tubs, wheel chairs, pacemakers, artifical limbs, you name it. When your 70 and you need a hip replacement your doctor will send your medical report to Kathleen Sabilious who is the "Director of Health and Human Services" she or her delegate will make a decision on your hip. Not your Doctor. The Doctor is under penilty of sanction first then Fine then Jail term for not doing what the H&HS says. Since you only have a few useful years left, its not cost effective. You won't get that hip or transplant or chemothearphy. Besides with a cancer diagnosis 3months to see the Doctor could be fatal.
PS. When selling your home. You will pay an addional 3.8% on any amount over 600K plus the new 20% capital ganes tax on any amount over 500K if your married. Very easy to do on the Penninsula.

Vanessa Castañeda (Editor) August 3, 2012 at 05:51 pm

lol I'm not going to hold my breath, waiting for that to happen. Notably, Supervisor Horsley waived his salary this year. He's on pension.

watchfultaxpayer August 3, 2012 at 08:54 pm

*** Spoiler ALERT ****
Page 4 of today's Chronicle. Check it out !!!!! France's new President proposing to raise the income tax to 75%. So many years of the government taking responsibility for every aspect of ones life is very expensive. You are preaching to the choir, Buck.Perhaps you are my brother by another mother. LOL

Jo Tog August 5, 2012 at 07:00 pm

There are many who want America to be just like the EU. Socialized Health Care and such. I say Hell No. I have a relative that resides in London, living is so difficult , the muzzies have taken over, crime against young white females by muslim men is a serious problem but political correctness stops law enforcement from arresting and convicting the criminals. The EU is broke. It is a very sad situation. A once strong vibrant country brought to its knees.

Lionel Emde August 6, 2012 at 12:28 am

Fortune help you all. Life expectencies, most other inducators of good life are better in other industrialized countries. Greater wealth inequality equals a general lowering of living standards. Our country is in deep trouble, and less "socialism", in terms of greater rectifying of inequaltites, means a continuing downward spiral.

watchfultaxpayer August 7, 2012 at 05:01 am

Remembering lessons from elementary school, this country was founded on the principles of individual effort. It is a land of opportunity, NOT guarantee. Did you mean that we need more 'socialism' here to rectitify inequality ??? IF that is what you mean you are living in the wrong country, my friend. And you never did tell me whether you are willing to pay 60% in income tax to equalize everyone...like they pay in the other industrialized countries. Anothher aspect you might like to consider is the differences in population between America and 'other industrialized' countries. We have tenfold the number of people that France has. And the majority of our growth is the rest of the world's poor. How do you propose to equalize that ??? It will probably take a higher tax rate than 60%. And really, its worked so well in EU, right ?????

Paul B. August 27, 2012 at 01:35 pm

I will not eat green eggs and ham, I do not like them said Sam I am. I do not like wealth re-distribution on a boat or in a moat. I want Private Sector Job's and less Taxes for those who create them said Sam I am!

Michael G. Stogner October 27, 2012 at 02:37 pm

Bob, I couldn't have said it any better.
VOTE NO on Measure A

Bob Cancilla October 27, 2012 at 04:50 pm

And I will say it again, VOTE NO on Measure A.

Buck Shaw October 29, 2012 at 06:30 pm

The supervisors always, always,ALWAYS, threaten Police, and Fire we all know this. But the money will go to Social programs we all know this also, look at what happened at the state level with the Lottery and school budgets. "Will my dear I don't give a Damn", about Social; feed the hungry,clean needles,learn to read,save the library,free condoms,music by the sea,save our neighborhoods, what ever program social workers can dream up to make there usefullness look good or justify there job. The County should only busy itself with Police,Fire,Roads,Dead animal pickup (maybe thats roads also). No wait! to be green lets save money and let the Turkey Vultures (good name for a politician),Ravens and Maggots take care of that. Public Health as in epidemic type things, and with sever reluctance and trepidation Building and inspection services. Thats it..

John Hanson October 29, 2012 at 06:43 pm

When will the public figure out it's more of the same. No it's not different this time. Lies ,Lies, and more Lies on how they will spend your money.

Buck Shaw October 29, 2012 at 06:49 pm

They passed similar parcel tax in Redwood City and Sequoia High District claiming same issues. Even going so far as to say there will be an oversight committee to make sure the money is spent only on stated projects. Several thiings wrong the money goes into the overall general fund, taking an expert to follow it, committee meets only once a year, has no power to make any changes or decisions and membership is broken down as 3 members at large, 3 members from the business community, and 5 special members who you and I know were on the vote yes for the tax in the first place committee. The important point is everyone forgot to ask "Is everyone on this committee a parcel OWNER" soneone with skin in the game so to speak. Answer "NO" Shame on you Schools. Shame on you teachers and backers, Shame on you Sally Masur

Buck Shaw October 29, 2012 at 06:54 pm

Thank you Mr. Pine. You have my vote and I will vote for you again.

Jo Tog October 29, 2012 at 07:44 pm

You are completely wrong. Life indicators say life is the best in America. But we can't tax our way out of our problems. Globally, America's poor is considered rich. California has a entitlement problem, tax happy problem, illegal problem, border problem, big government problem. People have been voting with their feet, the people with the money. And, they have every right to do so. To make it illegal for them to leave is against every American right there is.