There are two local tax measures on the November ballot. As much as we like to vote against taxes, on principle, these measures are tempting simply because the individual cost to each of us is so low. One quarter of one percent … heck, why not!? Well, that’s what we consider; come along with us.
Measure F would extend a 0.25 percent tax that is scheduled to expire in 2011. There is already in place a zoning designation for every parcel in the county, limiting how much and what type of development can occur. Every “urbanized” area in the county (save Cloverdale) has in place a growth boundary, limiting outward sprawl and preserving open, agricultural space between neighboring cities. Thus, the goals of Measure F are largely achieved already, and there’s no need to tax ourselves to buy up private land, ironically losing part of the base for property taxes in the process, or even to purchase easements on private land for the same purpose. Land use regulation is a powerful tool that has done and can continue to do the job – there’s no need to take ownership of the land, too, and assume responsibility to maintain it at taxpayer expense.
But let’s look locally – isn’t the Montini Ranch project a positive example? Yes, probably. Open Space money was the real grease ($11.3 million) that made the deal happen ($13.6 million total). But the property couldn’t have been developed into high-density housing, anyway, not without approvals from the city or the county. According to the Coastal Conservancy, zoning would have allowed three houses on the 142 hillside acres and 11 houses on the lower, flat portion. After the deal, there is one house allowed on the hillside and 25 houses, now nearing completion, on the lower area, along with transfer of some 98 acres to State or City parks. We don’t argue that it wasn’t a good trade-off, although we doubt if Valley voters would have approved it directly, as a one-time parcel tax, for instance, at $1,100.
And that’s the beauty (in the eye of the beholder) of spreading the cost out over so many people. This is so cheap it’s almost free. Vote YES.
Measure R would fund a new commuter train from Cloverdale to Larkspur. It tempts us, too, with promises of open freeways, lower emissions, and a bucolic bike path. Keep in mind, though, that this isn’t an organic proposal, brought forward by the citizens of the Sonoma and Marin crying out for another means of public transportation alongside Highway 101. This is the result of action by the State legislature, creating a new Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit District on top of the existing governmental structures of the two counties. More government, whose sole job is to build us, at our expense, a new train system.
The trains would run only at commute hours, plus one at mid-day. There’d be none at all on evenings or weekends. SMART figures that daily some 2,650 people will forgo the freeway and take this new train to and from work. Even if this were true, and even if the costs were held to the projected $33 million per year, that’s spending almost $12,500 for every rider PER YEAR. For that price, the oh-so-SMART District literally could buy every rider a brand new Toyota Prius, and replace it with a new one every two years! With ridership this low, the wonderful environmental benefits wouldn’t be realized; even the bike path along the tracks wouldn’t be complete (read the fine print, at II.B.5).
We’re wary any time big government proposes to spend huge chunks of tax money contracting with big business, even if the individual cost is low. This train proposal looks to us like a boondoggle. Let’s think locally again – does it benefit us in Sonoma Valley? Vote NO.
