If You Ain’t Got the Money, Don’t Cross the Bridge, Honey OR Close Your Eyes and Open Your Wallets
I get it. The more people we have come here the more dollars we need from taxpayers to pay for infrastructure. My issue is this: They told us they were going to build to create affordable housing, but then they need to increase costos and taxes everywhere to pay for the infrastructure. Toll Lanes. Bridge fare increases. All of this equates to gentrification. Even if you were one of the lucky few to obtain one of the few, true, affordable housing units they’re building, where will you find more money merely to exist here on a daily basis? Kind of kills the thing that housing advocates are advocating for in the first place.
The other scary thing is that they are setting this up for a pretty Un-Democratic win. How? Last year was the very first year that they created a Nine County vote. (This happened to be for measure AA.) You no longer need to get a majority vote per County if you do it this way. You only need to get a majority vote with all nine counties combined. It removes power from the voters. In order to ensure all of this taxation that is coming down the pike, get ready to see Nine County votes on a regular basis.
Removing voter power and continuing new taxation is a win for our politicians. The money spent to sell you on every single tax and measure that comes down the pike is a immense. One gigantic advertisement. Perhaps we should start asking where has the money gone? All of the money we have given already? All of the money you promised would go toward the things you are bringing up new taxes for? I think some are starting to take the blinders off and ask these questions. These Nine County votes are a technique to quiet you.
Two valid concerns they hope you won’t pay attention to. Just close your eyes and open your wallet.
Lisa Taner
San Mateo County News 