MEASURE J-16
“To improve our region’s transportation system by: Fixing potholes, repaving local streets, relieving traffic congestion; Improving street, highway and bridge safety; Making bike and transit improvements within and between communities; Increasing senior, veterans, disabled and student transit; and Providing safe routes to school. Shall San Luis Obispo County voters enact a half cent transportation sales tax, providing $25,000,000 annually for nine (9) years, requiring independent citizens’ oversight, where all funds stay local and cannot be taken by the State?” Yes__________ No___________
CCTA Vote No On Measure J
Argument Against Measure J-16
Instead of fixing our roads, Sacramento politicians have taken our local gas tax dollars, as well as other transportation funds, and carelessly spent those dollars on failed programs and bureaucracies. Sacramento politicians have a spending problem not a revenue problem. They want you, the forgotten and overburdened taxpayer, to pay yet again.
California is ranked 44th in road condition, making it one of worst in the nation. Yet Sacramento politicians have still not made transportation spending a priority. A State Senate report recently stated that 68% of California roads are in poor or nearly poor condition. The report also stated the total cost for currently unfunded repairs will be roughly $135 billion in the coming decade.
Nonetheless, billions of taxpayer dollars continue to be wasted on programs such as the high-speed rail project — now estimated to cost over $100 billion. Rather than spending these taxpaying dollars on repairing our crumbling roads, Sacramento politicians are asking you and me to foot the bill.
Caltrans is bloated bureaucracy at its worst. Currently, the department is overstaffed by 3,300 architects and engineers that cost roughly $470 million per year. Caltrans’ financial books are in such disarray that they have not been auditable to the satisfaction of the Legislative Analyst’s Office and the State Auditor. But, instead of cleaning up and streamlining this failed bureaucracy, Sacramento politicians are simply asking us to pay more.
Another tax increase is not the solution to our problem. Sacramento politicians need to prioritize spending, cut the waste and bureaucracy, and fix our roads. They need ‘to feel the heat’ of you, the forgotten taxpayer, in order to understand. VOTE NO ON MEASURE J.
CCTA President
CCTA Says ➢ Vote No On Measure J
Rebuttal Against Favor Argument on Measure J-16
San Luis Obispo County taxpayers cannot count on the Governor, State Legislature, nor County Board of Supervisors to make transportation infrastructure a major priority. They haven’t! Most cities within this county have a sales tax for transportation, and now all levels of government are asking you to vote for an additional county sales tax, even though the already high state taxes and fees designated for transportation have been diverted to the state general fund for bullet trains, public pensions and the bloated, inefficient Caltrans.
California’s current per gallon gasoline tax, vehicle registration tax, driver’s license fees, vehicle license fees, greenhouse gas emissions tax, and truck weight tax are the highest in the nation, but still result in substandard road conditions. The Orange County Business Journal reports…”As it is, only 20 cents out of every transportation tax dollar that you pay actually hits the pavement.” Why let the Sacramento and local politicians off the hook, then add insult to injury by asking you to pay again?
The solution is not more taxes, but it’s putting rigorous state safeguards in place to ensure the money collected for transportation goes to fix our roads. Those cheerleading for the sales tax are the very ones who will benefit through lucrative contracts, while you, the forgotten taxpayer, will pay 225 million dollars over nine years. Like that famous movie quote, “I’ll be back!”, they will be back asking for more in nine years. Taxpayers need to provide tough love by saying NO ON J!
CCTA President