OPINIONS: Measure Y is a Good Deal for Piedmont
Comments From Measure Y Supporters-
One thing that makes Piedmont exceptional is our commitment to excellence in public services, parks and facilities. Measure Y, with no increase in taxes, simply renews the revenue raised by the municipal parcel tax to ensure Piedmont maintains this commitment. At approximately $9 a week, the parcel tax is less than similar taxes in comparable cities. While it is laudable and important to address concerns over public spending, Measure Y, the municipal parcel tax renewal, is a good deal in these fiscally difficult times. Maintain our legacy and vote Yes on Measure Y.
Sincerely,
Jonathan E. Davis, Piedmont Resident
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All this fuss about Measure Y…really?! About $1.29 per day, for the average taxpayer, to help keep Piedmont the town we love. I’m all in!
Cindy Hubert, Piedmont Resident
Editors’ Note: The opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Piedmont Civic Association. The Piedmont Civic Association does not support or oppose candidates or ballot measures.
The fact that it is “only $9 a week” for a household is no excuse for the city to waste millions of dollars. After all, a trillion dollar annual federal deficit is only $9 per day per US citizen. You can slice up any number small enough to sound harmless, but the total and its impact remain unchanged.
Why not break it down further: 50 cents an hour or .09 cents a minute or whatever meaningless number it becomes by the second!? These numbers are more meaningful: $1,600,000 wasted annually on the unneeded Parcel Tax. Just the last 3 years alone $3,100,000 was wasted on the Underground Debacle and Hills/SeaView Underground litigation, another minimal $500,000 and counting on Blair Park, and since 2003 an overall increase of $6,400,000 in City total compensation packages while overall spending slightly declined. During that period all the commonly understood essential services remained exactly the same and will remain exactly the same without the Parcel Tax.
If the tax is actually needed, once the fiscal imprudence is stopped, it can be put before the electorate again. As a sixty year Piedmont resident, I am highly confident there will be absolutely no deterioration of quality of life in Piedmont.