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Wetlands Parcel Tax? Soggy Idea.

The Daily Post has a long article on a proposed parcel tax that would raise $150 million over ten years to restore wetlands.  Apparently the windbags at ABAG spun off another bureacracy named the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority back in 2008.  No mention was made of how they had authority to make a new "authority" but the Post did spend a couple column inches on other criticism of ABAG–most of which is on the money.

So the proposed parcel tax would be on the November ballot and cover nine counties requiring the two-thirds majority to pass.  It would be $9 or $10 per parcel and the proceeds would be doled out in grants by the new Authority.  Our own Supe Dave Pine is on this Authority and described how the grants would be multiplied by Federal grants….maybe.  We are seeing how well that works with High-cost Rail which is to say it isn't working.

We know what it takes to pass a very local parcel tax for something that many people are passionate about like the local schools, so the wetlanders will need big money from somewhere if they hope to cover nine counties.  Color me "opposed" right now. 

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15 responses to “Wetlands Parcel Tax? Soggy Idea.”

  1. hillsider

    Happy Tax Day my fellow Taxifornians.

  2. Just another sucker

    We are dying the death by 1000 cuts here in California.
    Ahead of the April 15 tax deadline, a record-high 60% of Californians say that they pay “much more” or “somewhat more” in taxes than they should, according to a recent survey by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) However, as PPIC Mark Baldassare notes at Fox&Hounds, Californians still believe that the answer is to tax wealthy earners or corporations more–not to reform and broaden the current tax system. Other findings in the survey include increasing concern about water, which is named as the state’s second-most important issue after jobs and the economy
    What they mean is drinking water not water for birds and grass. So instead of a parcel tax we need to tax Google and Facebook and Twitter and we need to put it for reservoirs and new pipes.

  3. Joe

    It appears the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Measure AA for more money lost by less than a half percent.
    https://www.shapethefuture.org/elections/results/2014/june/(09)Semi/JUN14_Semi.pdf

  4. After Tax Day Elections!

    I’d suggest that all future elections be held on April 16th!

  5. Peter Garrison

    No more taxes for a while- epecially school taxes after the BSD/Hoover oops.

  6. Joe

    I think I made a mistake by just looking at the San Mateo County website because Santa Clara County also had a vote on this one–in fact, a bigger vote. The Daily Post front page piece has a chart that shows 247 of 296 Santa Clara precincts reporting and Measure AA winning by 67.46%. Right now the total (SM+SC) has 66.76%. If that sliver holds, the measure would pass by .09%. Hold on. I feel a recount coming.

  7. holyroller@hotwire.com

    I listened to a very interesting debate regarding Charter Schools vs. Public Schools in the US.
    I could only think of Hoover School.
    8 out of 10 Publically Funded Charter Schools are below the Standard set “generally” for all US Public Schools K through 12.
    The number one and two reasons given for all of the Public School shortcoming are Lack of Federal Funding.
    Number Two is the lack of Federal Funding going all Public Schools who educate the children of Un-Documented Parents.
    Due to the legal status,parents of Undocumented Children (3-5 per couple+ two parents, other cousins-etc.)) are not able to contribute to any Tax base that would benefit the School District. Or contribute their thoughts and solutions.
    This equals:
    Overcrowded class rooms.
    Extreme Police presence.
    Low self esteem for ALL students.
    A perfect use for Charter Schools in the US, would be to place the students of Un Doc’s in a school that give the student every opportunity to educationally grow, while maintaining a cost/benefit study that includes an in depth record of living expensives for the entire family. All relatives living in the students home, as long as Charter School Student lives there.
    Mandatory birth control-AVAILABLE for all male and female teenagers under the age of 21 that live in a home were any child enrolled in a Charter School resides.
    Hoover School would be a great place to start a program like this.
    There was never any intension of making this school anything other that some sort of Prep-School for all the Rich White Homwowners of Burlingame.
    Same goes with that ridiculous Easton Libray, that doubles as a FREE day care center for the Catholic School Neighbor.
    So lets call a Spade a Spade.
    Let Hooverville cater to the educations for the children of the parents who mow lawns, clean our toilets, push our kids around town in $1500.00 strollers @$10.00 per hour
    We can do it.
    What would Jesus, or HAY SUS want?

  8. Bruce Dickinson

    Bruce Dickinson is shaking his head. Believe it or not, I’m at a loss for words.

  9. hillsider

    I know, me too. And I bet he votes every time also. Probably for Leland Yee.

  10. I’m totally dressing up as Leland Yee next Halloween!

    Seriously, Burlingame Voice Fundraiser *Masked* Costume Party at The Carolands Mansion, The Candy Store, ?
    When, Halloween or Mardi Gras?

  11. Joe

    I can think of a few charities that we could donate the proceeds to. The Voice it self runs on a shoestring–as you all can see 😛

  12. BV 1st Annual Masquerade Ball?

    Live debate of various topics…followed by live music.
    Masked panel discussion, just to keep the BV spirit alive, interesting and honest.
    The Burlingame Rotary Club has had fundraisers at both venues this year – very fun.

  13. holyroller@hotwire.com

    I would never vote for Leyland Yee.
    To me, it seemed his basic platform was Gun Control.
    Then looked what happened.
    I know it is very hard to drag the truth/The Elephant in the room, out of the closet for everyone to see.
    However, until facts regarding Social Issues over the entire world become addressed without Special Interest Groups, Religion, the major disconnect from the Very Wealthy, taking advantage of the poor working class things will never get better.
    I believe that one of the major problem this World faces is over population.
    There by creating for the Very Wealthy a never ending supply of consumers, and throw away people.
    Let a Private Corporation purchase Hooverville only under the condition that students and parents learn together. The poorest students, and parents. A stipend to attend, mandatory uniforms, free paper, pens, paper, and books, free lunch for everyone. Thereby eliminating class identification. Strict attendance protocol that will be enforced, no matter what the excuse is.
    No Holidays that have anything to do with Race. No Caesar Chavez, MLK, Washington/Lincoln, Cinco de Mayo, etc. Have Holidays, just not based on Race.
    Teachers/Administrators should have a base pay of $100,000.00 per year at hire.
    The amount of pay should rise and fall with the combined results of all the students, teachers,administrators combined grades and efforts to educate and contribute the knowledge learned to apply to all communities in the SF Bay Area.
    One more thing, all the students who are educated at the “Charter School” will be required to ride a bus to the School from a designated multi transportation hub like the South end of California Dr. owned by Cal Train which I am sure would be more that willing to provide a safe pick up/drop off zone for children and parents, Sam Trans too.
    I go it all figured out Bruce, with a lot of help from you, this could be a simple solution for a realistic way to provide a First Class Education that is only available to the Children of Billionaires.
    The only way to fix and repair the BS that has been the Status of this nation, and the world, has to come from the bottom up.
    Otherwise the culture of the haves will continue to see things through the eyes of their legacies.

  14. Peter Garrison

    Masked Ball- but with a gong or stage hook available for overly long stays on the soap-box.

  15. Joe

    It looks like the ayes have it on Measure AA after all. The Mercury Times article is here: http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_25929249/open-space-measure-aa-backers-declare-victory-close
    and it notes
    The money will be used to acquire between 13,000 and 28,000 more acres, in addition to 62,000 acres already preserved, district officials say. It also would pay to open district properties to the public that currently are closed for lack of funds, including the Bear Creek Redwoods near Los Gatos on the site of the former Alma College; Miramontes Ridge, between Half Moon Bay and Skyline Drive; and the summit of Mount Umunhum, a former Air Force radar station south of San Jose.
    The reason B’gamers didn’t get to vote on it is the MROSD coverage doesn’t go this far north in San Mateo County. Their map is here: http://www.openspace.org/imagine/downloads/ImagineTheFutureFactsheet.pdf#page=2
    You can see it stops in San Carlos, then Huddart Park and around the other side of the Crystal Springs water district.

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