A parcel tax measure meant to back San Mateo County’s climate initiatives won’t appear on the November ballot after officials realized economic uncertainty was causing low polling support for the measure.

“A lot of this is a reflection of where we are with the economy — rising gas prices, inflation, the possibility of a recession. I think people are really concerned,” County Manager Mike Callagy said. “We really hope that someday we’ll be able to bring this back around in better times because these are situations that are not going to get better and are only going to get worse.”

While the Daily Post dug a little deeper and stated it bluntly under the headline "County tax didn't stand a chance;  Poll data shows it would have failed by 11 points".  The Post noted

The tax would have cost property owners 5 cents per square foot annually.  For the owner of a 2,000 square-foot-home, the tax would have cost $100 per year.  Poll respondents did express interest in some of the ideas behind the tax–primarily around reducing the impacts of drought by recycling water and reducing flammable brush.

Translation:  Hey County, please worry about things that are right here, right now and not something that may or may not happen 50 years from now.  Oh, and do it within the huge budget you have now.

Today's Chron has a long piece on "graywater" that you can get from recycling what comes out of the washing machine and your shower.

The technology isn’t new — greywater systems have been around for decades. But experts note that California, a state long familiar with extreme drought, still doesn’t have statewide incentives for people to install systems that can save thousands of gallons of water each year for a family of four.  On a local level, incentives are not robust in the Bay Area either. Santa Clara County offers a $400 rebate through Valley Water, San Francisco offers $225, Contra Costa County and the East Bay Municipal District each offer up to $50, and other counties and water districts offer none at all.

Another benefit: Using greywater means people can continue to grow plants and trees in their yard — which can provide food and shade and support wildlife — rather than ripping them out in the face of water restrictions, advocates said.  But while greywater has been shown to save both water and money, advocates and experts note that it’s faced a number of challenges to more widespread adoption over the years.

It goes on to discuss the permit process and costs, the lack of experienced installers, whether the water utilities really want us to do it and a general lack of public awareness — all things the County could actually work on within the bounds of its current budget and staff.  In the meantime, we have a little respite from yet another parcel tax.