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SANDAG sets stage for 'quality-of-life' tax
By: DAVE DOWNEY - Staff Writer
Water cleanup, habitat, sand and buses considered for 2010 ballot measure | ∞
BORREGO SPRINGS ---- Aiming to place a so-called quality-of-life sales tax on the county ballot in 2010, regional politicians gathered Thursday to discuss whether the measure should target ocean pollution, beach sand replenishment, open space or public transit ---- or all of the above.
After a full day of airing ideas on the topic at the San Diego Association of Governments' annual retreat in the eastern San Diego County desert town of Borrego Springs, no clear consensus emerged.
Many elected officials attending the three-day workshop, which concludes today, agreed that a new sales tax ranging from a quarter cent to a half cent on the dollar is needed, and that ideally it should address all four objectives. But some officials warned that adding buses and trains to the mix, just a few years after putting the TransNet regional transportation measure before voters, could jeopardize the entire package.
Oceanside Councilman Jack Feller told his colleagues that, in the current economic downturn, county residents may well reject any such measure no matter how it is packaged.
Association board members agreed on one thing: They have no business taking anything to voters before conducting extensive polling to test attitudes.
"We want to win, and we want to find out what will work," said Gary Gallegos, the association's executive director.
Gallegos and his staff plan to return to the board in several weeks with refined ideas for a potential 2010 ballot measure.
In the meantime, agency officials today are scheduled to turn their attention to the increasingly heated topic of global warming, in the wake of the state attorney general's warning late last year that they better take greenhouse gases into account when they plan for highways.
Colleen Windsor, association spokeswoman, said the agency paid for 91 government officials and staff members to attend the retreat at a cost to taxpayers of $45,000.
Besides concerns about public transit, Del Mar Councilwoman Crystal Crawford said she worried that sand replenishment's presence in a sales tax package could trigger its defeat, too.
"I remember how hard it was to pass TransNet," Crawford said.
She was referring to the November 2004 measure to continue the existing half-cent TransNet sales. The measure barely cleared the two-thirds vote threshold required for taxes.
It is a largely a promise the board made during that 2004 campaign that is driving the push for a follow-up countywide measure addressing quality of life. Four years ago, board members headed off a threat by environmental groups to oppose TransNet ---- and almost certainly seal its fate ---- by agreeing to put another measure on the ballot later to fund open space and endangered species habitat purchases.
San Diego County has been recognized around California for its innovative plans to set aside large swaths of natural vegetation to protect its diverse collection of imperiled species. But the region has been slow, according to some groups, to assemble the network of preserves called for in those plans.
If it contains nothing else, the 2010 measure has to have a habitat feature in it, said Coronado Councilwoman Carrie Downey.
"If we don't include this, we're going to be creamed by every environmental group in San Diego," Downey said.
For many officials, another must is an ocean, lagoon and river cleanup program that would target water running off streets, driveways and parking lots during storms. State water-quality regulators are pushing area cities to introduce expensive new programs to keep storm runoff from fouling water bodies, and most communities are struggling to find ways to pay for them, said Encinitas Mayor Jerome Stocks.
El Cajon Mayor Mark Lewis said the board might as well roll beach replenishment into the package, too, given that it would require $5 million a year ---- a small fraction of the funds the measure would generate. Gallegos said a half-cent tax would bring in $250 million.
And Lewis maintained that beach sand could be made the signature program for the package and actually boost its chances of passage. Noting that his residents of his own inland city frequently visit the coast, he said the beach is treasured by all county residents, no matter where they live, and is a driving force behind the region's tourism industry.
"It's the image of San Diego," Lewis said.
The image of the programs officials sought to fund was brought into focus with guest visits. The agency brought in the general manager of a Sonoma County open-space program funded by a sales tax, as well as a consultant for a bond-funded program that has curbed trash in Los Angeles' rain runoff 30 percent by covering storm drains with screens.
But Oceanside's Feller said that, while it's nice to mention successful examples, it's important to remember San Diego County's largely conservative electorate is less likely to approve a new tax measure than were the more liberal Los Angeles and Sonoma counties.
Contact staff writer Dave Downey at (760) 745-6611, Ext. 2623, or ddowney@nctimes.com.
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George wrote on Feb 1, 2008 12:11 AM:Do you suppose SANDAG will trumpet their successful reduction of traffic congestion after we passed the TransNet tax in 2004? Oh, wait, there hasn't BEEN any significant reduction in traffic congestion and the Regional Transportation Plan calls for an INCREASE in travel time from Escondido to Kearny Mesa between now and 2030.
Howiek wrote on Feb 1, 2008 1:55 AM:What the heck is going on here? We already have various elected city governments/officials and an elected county government—what the heck is this band of unelected idiots trying to do? (Yes, for the most part they are elected officials but they are unaccountable to anyone.) In today’s economy anything they try to pull off is going to be defeated. Where is the initiative to dissolve this rogue band of idiots? What we need is a regional transportation agency that knows what its job is and not another layer of county government—they can either do their job or go home!
JSten wrote on Feb 1, 2008 5:55 AM:... In case they haven't noticed, the residents of this county are pretty sure that taxes are high enough and that "retreats" like this one have not place in the current political climate. Who paid for this event and how much did it cost?
Paul wrote on Feb 1, 2008 6:12 AM:Another retreat, they did this last year. Where did they stay ... ? How much did this cost the taxpayer?
YouGottaBeKidden wrote on Feb 1, 2008 6:40 AM:They want to raise my taxes even more? How about stop wasting my tax dollars? The average home in SD county is paying taxes on 1/2 mill home. Funny how areas of the nation who's home values are averaging 25% of that are getting by just fine. In fact, even better.
Or on second thought big brother, keep giving huge retirement salaries to your workers at age 55, free benifits to illegals, spending billions on lousy road networks, etc etc.
Let everyone keep moving out of county and commuting in for work.
Great plan, yahoos.
Roy wrote on Feb 1, 2008 7:45 AM:Better yet how about an alternative ballot measure to disband Sandag? Their policies are driving San Diego transportation infrastructure towards longer commutes and more boondoggle projects. Get rid of them.
Cassandra wrote on Feb 1, 2008 8:34 AM:Where's the Brown Act, about public business being conducted in public places, not in expensive, inaccessible retreats?
Was the public invited, or are we simply considered dumb voters? SANDAG operates without much oversight. This is yet another indication of how out of touch with voters SANDAG is: private meetings, without public input. It sounds more like a sales pep talk and rally.
Billy: wrote on Feb 1, 2008 8:35 AM: Did you feel that? it wasn't an earthquake in Borrego Springs, it was a SANDAG super-nudge on our wallets! It would appear that they are getting ready to empty our wallets out with a quality-of-life improvement plan for over-on-the-coast. Please take note that the inland representative to that county org. are bending over backwards to help them do this dastardly deed by imposing a tax on the whole county. Please notice also that the item came up in a retreat at the cost of $45,000.00 to the tax payers. We had no say in that one - but we should in the future. Moreover, the increase in taxes should be put on the ballet. It is to late for this election, and I wonder if that is why it came up now?
Open Your Pocketbooks wrote on Feb 1, 2008 8:46 AM:Wages are stagnant, home values are plummeting, we're heading into a recession, just the right time to propose another tax. Who do they think has the money to pay another tax?
reading is fundamental wrote on Feb 1, 2008 9:10 AM:If some of the usual NCT blog suspects could be bothered to read the article before launching into some of their same recycled, reactionary drivel, they'd see the line about this "retreat" costing $45,000. With a county population of just over 3 million, your share of the event works out to just over 1.5 cents. Please bill them accordingly...
Olaf wrote on Feb 1, 2008 10:19 AM:Typical responses from people who don't relize they create these problems and then blame everyone else. NO TAXES but better service for ME!!! WHA! WHA!... How about some ideas instead of critisism. How about there are many people coming here whether or not you like it... YES lets do something about the Overcrowding due to people here illegally but do not think that you can have it both ways... Better (cheaper) service for no tax money. Or should we hire outside companies to fix your streets and freeways... oh wait we don't want that because they hire the illegals. Make up your minds people.
Oh and get off your sofa and go to a city council meeting or sandag and express what should be done.
George wrote on Feb 1, 2008 11:58 AM:Hi, Olaf! You make it sound like we haven't been coming up with ideas and making positive suggestions! "SANDAG's New Year's Resolutions" at http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/01/03/opinion/commentary/19_35_091_2_08.txt offered three important topics to improve the planning process that could have been considered at the retreat that just ended. (The NCT editorial board offered a fourth suggestion just before the meeting, too, but I haven't got that link handy.) "Reject The Regional Transportation Plan" at http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/11/20/opinion/commentary/19_38_0911_19_07.txt noted that there was no congestion relief in the RTP and that additional work was needed before passage. "A Proposal To Save The Breeze" at http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/10/14/opinion/commentary/11_28_4810_13_07.txt offered a plan to improve transit ridership by increasing accessibility. Honest, Olaf, we're doing what we can to correct the problems but we're not meeting with much success!
Tax looking for a cause wrote on Feb 1, 2008 12:04 PM:SANDAG seems to be putting the cart before the horse. They've decided that they want a new tax, but they can't decide what it's gonna be for. I suggest that they prioritize the needs within the county, look for ways to pay for those needs within existing budgets, and only if they come up short with existing revenues, should they even consider an additional tax.
San Diego County is nearly unaffordable for the average family living here now.State taxes are high, sales taxes are quite high already, and the cost of living keeps creeping up. SANDAG had better have a very solid reason for raising our sales tax even higher. Given what happened with TransNet, how do we know that North County won't get the short end of the stick AGAIN?
Olaf, Get a Clue wrote on Feb 1, 2008 1:57 PM:A short course on what percentage is.
If I pay 10% taxes on $100, the government gets $10.
If I pay 10% taxes on $100,000, the government gets $10,000.
There is NEVER a reason to increase the percentage unless you are have additional things you wish to accomplish.
And maintaining an infrastructure has been done since CA joined the Union. My great grandparents used mass transit trollys in SoCal in 1910. The idiots today act like mankind has never seen such a thing.
Palomar Pomerado Health wrote on Feb 1, 2008 3:41 PM: We all know what Palomar Pomerado Health with our tax money (Prop BB) waste, waste, waste, our tax dollars NO WAY / NO HOW
Crazy wrote on Feb 1, 2008 4:35 PM: Is SANDAG Crazy ???? I bet they are....
jklip wrote on Feb 1, 2008 6:16 PM:Is today April 1st? This must be a joke! They spent $45,000 of our tax money to attend a workshop on how to raise the sales tax rate in San Diego County! I have a great idea how to increase the quality of life in San Diego... dissolve SANDAG.
Walt wrote on Feb 1, 2008 7:22 PM:Quality of life is what we olde timer retired folke think about having with what's left of our savings after taxes. A thriving community should be seeking the prosperity achieved by encouraging "Quality of Personal Achievement". What can citizens do best for their community, and globally. Is shuffling sand on beaches, and using taxpayers dollars to take land out of productive use good for the community and driving up the cost of houses and doing business in the process? Quality of Life in this article's context is the code word for just that; buy up more land so congestion reducing roads can't be built, or other facilities people want and need at affordable price. It also includes financial support for a never ending list of environmental investigation conducted by environmental activists. This scheme worked in the 2004 Prop A TransNetII vote. $850 million diverted from useful transportion funds in the name of early action mitigation for damage claimed to habitat etc. Now the beneficiaries want more. $850 million would buy about 40 to 50 lane-miles of freeway. Judiciously placed would the congestion thus eliminated help more than restricting expansions,as a means to justify even more mass transit. The 2007 Regional Transportation Plan shows planned road expansions use LESS energy per passenger-mile than mass transit. If we are to add taxes to help the environment, global warming and such, why not provide incentives for more use of high mpg cars already available and start suporting R & D that can do even better?
Jenny wrote on Feb 1, 2008 7:32 PM:Is this a junket? A bunch of elected and appointed officials take a retreat at an expensive desert location, and discuss how to raise a new tax...oh, what a glorious job description. Go back to your home offices, and take our calls, and listen to some of the voters: No New Taxes, please.
Recession's here, folks.
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