Why I Am Opposing The Measure S Sales Tax Increase – An Open Letter To My Neighbors<\/b><\/p>\n
Dear Neighbor:<\/span><\/p>\n I have been a resident in our County for over 65 years and proudly served as a volunteer firefighter with the Coloma-Lotus Volunteer Fire Department in my younger days. Over the years I have watched our firefighting bureaucrats empire build and waste money on high administrative salaries and practices like dispatching both an engine and an a para-medic unit <\/span>on every call<\/span> instead of sending just the para-medic unit on medical calls or just an engine on a fire call unless both are requested by the citizen calling for help. As for Marshall Hospital, why has it built or purchased new buildings like it\u2019s medical centers in Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, and Placerville (across from Walmart) instead of paying for the retrofit? Here is what every voter should know about Measure S.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Measure S is an <\/b>additional<\/b> SALES TAX INCREASE<\/b> placed on the ballot by Marshall Hospital to benefit three special interests and their formula to divide up our money after they take it from us:<\/span><\/p>\n If Measure S passes it will raise our sales tax to 7.625 cents for the next 30 years, meaning we will have to pay $7.63 each time we spend $100 on gasoline, diesel fuel, online purchases or in local stores. Thus, spending $100 will actually cost you $107.63. Worse, Measure S will raise the Sales tax to 8.625 cents in Placerville and 9.125 cents in South Lake Tahoe. Sales tax costs will also increase with inflation. Doing the math, you can see that if you buy an appliance for $1,000 you will pay an extra $72.65 for the next 30 years – plus any other taxes and fees foisted upon us in future years.<\/span><\/p>\n Our local fire bureaucrats are asking us for more money. Nearly 30 years ago, voters approved a \u00bd cent sales tax increase requiring our Board of Supervisors to allocate that sales tax money for public safety. Our already high countywide sales tax is 7 1\/4 cents and we also pay a county-wide ambulance tax.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Marshall Hospital says it needs your sales tax money to pay for State mandated seismic retrofit requirements taking effect in 2030 from a result of the State Legislature enacting AB 1882 back in 1983. What they are not telling you is that all of the other hospitals in our service area are somehow financing their retrofits by other means.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Measure S contains several flaws:<\/b><\/p>\n First<\/b>, only previously existing fire safe councils can receive Measure S funding, preventing the formation of new organizations that may better serve local communities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Second<\/b>, only self-interested medical industry insiders and fire department bureaucrats are eligible to serve on the proposed Measure S Board charged with overseeing the money, eliminating ordinary taxpayers and their common sense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Third<\/b>, none of the money is directly allocated to forest thinning or fuels reduction, the most proven methods of preventing catastrophic wildfires.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fourth<\/b>, the sales tax increase stays in place if Marshall Hospital is sold to a major chain corporation or goes bankrupt.<\/span><\/p>\n Proponents claim that Measure S sales tax money can only be given to Marshall Hospital, fire districts, fire departments and firesafe councils is false and misleading.\u00a0 <\/span>The reality is that the California State Legislature can change sales tax allocations with a majority vote, change the California State Constitution with a 2\/3 vote, <\/b>and has a long history of raiding local governments for their sales and property tax money to balance California\u2019s budget during recessions or overspending binges<\/b>.<\/b><\/p>\n During presentations, Measure S proponents are bragging that they have a $1.2 million dollar budget to entice voters to pass the Measure S tax increase. However, FPPC disclosure filings show that <\/span>little financial support is coming from individual fire fighters or members of the community at-large<\/b>. Instead, the money is coming from Marshall Hospital, Marshall\u2019s administrative staff members, business related health care providers, and large construction companies, <\/span>with over $586,000 coming from Marshall Hospital alone!<\/b><\/p>\n\n