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REGION: 'Quality of Life' bill heads to governor
Stage set for 2010 measure to pay for environmental projects
By DAVE DOWNEY - Staff Writer | ∞
Legislation setting the stage for a 2010 San Diego County sales tax measure to fund environmental projects sailed through the Assembly on Thursday and headed for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk.
The legislation passed on a 53-12 vote, according to the staff of state Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, the bill's sponsor.
"The governor has not taken a position on this bill yet," said Rachel Cameron, a Schwarzenegger spokeswoman in Sacramento.
Steve Aceti, executive director of the Encinitas-based California Coastal Coalition that represents cities and counties along the state's shoreline, and a bill supporter, said Schwarzenegger is likely to sign the bill.
"The fact that it gained Republican votes along its path will be very significant in terms of the way the governor views the bill," Aceti said. "The other thing he'll like about the bill is that it requires a two-thirds vote of the county electorate (to approve a ballot measure)."
The legislation, Senate Bill 1685, would not establish a tax. Instead, it would give power to a regional planning agency, the San Diego Association of Governments, to place an environmental sales tax measure or "Quality of Life Initiative" on the countywide ballot. The Senate approved the bill this month.
The bill builds on the association's existing authority to seek voter approval for a sales tax of up to one cent on the dollar to pay for transportation projects. Half of that authority is currently in use, with the half-cent TransNet measure passed in 1987 and renewed in 2004.
The association has authority to ask for an additional half-cent. But the agency needs permission to expand the purpose for the money to quality of life projects.
The legislation would open a way to use sales tax dollars to put sand on the region's thinning shoreline, clean up rivers and bays, buy open space and underwrite the cost of operating trains and buses.
For now, the sales tax stands at 7.75 percent in most North County communities. The exception is Vista, where shoppers pay 8.25 cents on the dollar.
Not everyone likes the idea of going to voters for a potential half-cent increase. The San Diego County Taxpayers Association believes the measure is particularly poor timing, coming just four years after the regional agency sought and won approval for extending the TransNet measure for 40 years.
"In light of the fact that the voters just passed a $14 billion tax increase in 2004, we think SANDAG should focus on completing projects from that measure rather than wasting time and money concocting a new multibillion-dollar wish list," said Lani Lutar, the group's executive director.
SANDAG has compiled a list of potential environmental projects with cost totals ranging from $5 billion to $12 billion.
Lutar said the taxpayer group also fears the added responsibility would remake SANDAG into something the region doesn't want.
"SANDAG wants to establish itself as the regional superauthority with the ability to spend tens of billions of dollars," she said. "We are concerned that they are turning into a bloated bureaucracy that lacks oversight."
But supporters of an environmental tax say the measure is something the region needs.
Escondido Mayor Lori Pfeiler said that unlike many municipal services, the region lacks a reliable funding source for cleaning up stormwater runoff, putting sand on the beach and managing open space. And Pfeiler said the state is taking operational money away from public transit.
Aceti, of the California Coastal Coalition, suggested a sales tax measure is more likely to gain voter approval than, say, a countywide hotel tax or real estate transfer fee.
"This is across the board," he said. "You're not targeting hotel guests. You're not targeting people who sell and buy homes."
Aceti said the measure would offer something for everyone.
He maintained coastal residents would benefit from inland open space projects because they hike on inland trails, and inland residents would benefit from sand replenishment projects because they play at the beaches.
"And everyone in the region needs to have clean water," Aceti said.
Contact staff writer Dave Downey at (760) 745-6611, Ext. 2623, or ddowney@nctimes.com.
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George wrote on Jun 26, 2008 10:51 PM:If you'll remember SANDAG's TransNet tax measure from 2004, they promised us congestion relief. Four years later, there are no plans to unclog our freeways even though there is a transportation budget of $58 billion. Why should we believe them this time?
No new taxes wrote on Jun 27, 2008 3:11 AM:If you want to go to the beach, pay for it. If you want to hike pay for it. It should be a "user" pay as you go fee. As far as transportation goes, what a scam. We pay billions in taxes on gasoline just for transportation. Sue the state to keep their money grubbing hands out of the transportation funds.
Jeff wrote on Jun 27, 2008 4:58 AM:Politicians just love to raise taxes! I don't think they ever met a tax they didn't like.
Every wrote on Jun 27, 2008 6:39 AM:4 to 8 years we have Clean Water etc. bonds on the ballot for billions of dollars that people for some reason pass. Where does this money go? Enough taxes already. The politicians have prooen time and again they don't use the money where it was intended. The state is broke, the county is broke and we taxpayers are broke! How about getting creative. Allow drilling 50 miles off the coast and use the royalties to keep the sand? In Alaska every resident gets $2,000 to $3,000 a year from oil royalties. We could do the same here just apply it these projects.
lady wrote on Jun 27, 2008 6:47 AM:Like IT was said here ALREADY USE the tax money you have already of ours to finish projects that are not done yet!!
WE the people can not afford MORE taxes these days!! Does the government NOT see we are ALL hurting right now!!!
Reality wrote on Jun 27, 2008 6:49 AM:This measure is properly identified as a permission slip to allow the voters to decide, and it will require a supermajority to take effect. Let democracy take its course, and get that Lani Lutar a chill pill!
Mary wrote on Jun 27, 2008 7:01 AM:A huge slush fund tax like that will just mean thousands of more government employee ticks that do nothing but suck up our blood money.
Herb wrote on Jun 27, 2008 7:12 AM:According to the above article, Senate Bill 1685 will allow SANDAG to impose San Diego County taxes as they see fit without going to the people. Those people already have a list of things they want to spend not yet imposed tax money on. How much sand for the beaches in the coastal cities do you think we inland will buy? Knowing politicians, I am sure that each of them have and in-pocket list of items for which more taxes will have to be imposed. This kind of at-will imposition of taxes is what brought around Prop 13.
Let the politicians be fore-warned; we in San Diego County are experienced in the use of the initiative, referendum, and the recall in a manner of exercising our responsibilities of controlling the elected and appointed politicians through the use of the rule of law. Lest they not forget - remember Duke Cunningham.
ALL CARS wrote on Jun 27, 2008 7:33 AM:Must go, the only vehicles allowed should be emergency only. No cars for Governors, Senators or Congressmen. We are in a stae of emergency and unless we all stop driving there will be no more earth, no more us. LONG LIVE GREEN!
Zman wrote on Jun 27, 2008 8:49 AM:Enough with more taxes, don't these people know what the price of gas and other necessary items are??? We can't afford this new tax.
Karl wrote on Jun 27, 2008 10:47 AM:Long live greens indeed. I'll be putting on them this afternoon.
Concerned One wrote on Jun 27, 2008 10:56 AM:There are improvements that are drastically needed. Unfortunately the nuts we've elected in Sacramento have an unwavering track record for diverting money intended for (fill in the blank here, roads, schools, infrastructure) and putting it in the general fund. Is anyone else tired of supporting all these welfare programs?
susan wrote on Jun 27, 2008 12:17 PM:We already have one of the highest sales taxes in the US but I can hear the scare tactics now as special interests try and get this passed. Shame on the Republicans for going along with the tax and spend Democrats. The Democrats who are in the majority in Sacramento also want to raise our sales tax. We didn't send them there to try and exract more money from us.
Oceansider wrote on Jun 27, 2008 12:27 PM:Continuing the legislature's end-around assault on Prop. 13.
I know wrote on Jun 27, 2008 12:38 PM:Lets do a California Tea Party! No taxes paid at all utill they become sane in government and start taking their medicine.
Old Timer wrote on Jun 27, 2008 4:03 PM:More sand on coastal beaches improve coastal property values. Come up with a beach user fee and coastal property fee. Why tax everybody when only those chosen few benefit. Storm Water clean up - Is this a back door increase in taxes to pay for the State unfunded Storm Water Control now mandated upon the Cities/County and coming out of their current budget? More trickery for more taxes...
MJ wrote on Jun 27, 2008 6:32 PM:Yet another example of why we need a part time legislature, the busy bodies in Sacto need to chill --- ANY supermajority tax increase these days has a snowball's chance in you-know-what of passing.
Walt wrote on Jun 27, 2008 7:21 PM:This law would spend as much each year for these items always low priority in public surveys as San Diego allocates to the entire transportation plan. More land would be taken out of productive use, and even higher subsidies paid for ineffective mass transit. Is that better for quality of life than solutions to the critical issues of congestion, more efficient use of energy, reasonable cost housing, sufficient electric power and water San Diego is struggling with? If this law should pass the public will have a chance to vote on other more significant options. But it won't just happen unless the public demands better use of sales tax funds well before the vote.
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