VOTE NO ON MEASURE A - A BAD TAX FOR OUR COUNTY

A coalition of local groups is gathering momentum to stop Measure A, the General Sales Tax Increase on the June ballot. While packaged as a "general purpose" tax increase, this is, in reality, a special-purpose tax increase earmarked for use by the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). Why? Because backers know that voters already approved a VTA tax measure in 2000, and wouldn't pass another. The "general purpose" tax ruse helps avoid the two-thirds vote requirement that another VTA tax would entail.

Go to www.VoteNoOnA.us  for more information, including these critical points:

Raising the sales tax is bad for families.
- Sales taxes unfairly burden low income families the most.
- The average family’s share is over $14,000.
- Santa Clara County will tie for the highest tax rate in California.
- Over 30 years, this tax will cost 8.4 billion dollars.
- High taxes make it more expensive for businesses to expand, driving jobs away.

This tax is not about county services.
- Last year, county revenues were $2.8 billion, 6.8% higher than the previous year.
- County tax revenues are nearly four times what they were a decade ago.
- The original plan was for a quarter percent tax, more than enough to cover total projected deficits.

So why a half percent?
- Put simply, this tax is about a back room deal to give half the money to the VTA.
- The sales tax increase was requested by SVLG, the same group seeking a sales tax exemption.
- Just two days after the county voted for this tax, the VTA created a subcommittee to decide how to spend the money.
- VTA receives 400 million tax dollars every year, including a full one percent sales tax.
- VTA is tremendously inefficient. They spend more per bus than nearly every other transit agency in the nation, ranking 362 out of 368. LA, Chicago, New York, San Mateo, and San Francisco all spend less than the VTA.

Our tax money should not go to an agency this irresponsible. If the county needs the money, we can vote on a quarter percent tax in November. Vote NO on this back room deal.

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