100,031 / 28.57% Yes votes ...... 250,039 / 71.43% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Section 9603(c) of the California Elections Code governing the purpose and effect of such an advisory vote states: "... `advisory vote' means an indication of general voter opinion regarding the ballot proposal. The results of the advisory vote will in no manner be controlling on the sponsoring legislative body."

The opinion expressed through the vote on this advisory measure, while of interest to the County Board of Supervisors, is not in any manner legally controlling on the Board of Supervisor's use of the proceeds of any sales tax.

The Sacramento Bee

• Arena plan appears doomed - Saturday, November 4, 2006
• Arena push may be pricey - Saturday, November 4, 2006
• Arena negotiations revealed - Tuesday, October 31, 2006
• No massive ad campaign -- yet - Tuesday, October 10, 2006
• Arena adversaries duel before a crowd - Sunday, October 8, 2006

• Arena: Yes or No

Measure Q is an advisory vote directing our elected officials to invest the new revenues generated by Measure R in projects that help taxpayers and improve our quality of life.

Measure Q says at least half of the revenue provided by Measure R should be divided fairly among Sacramento County's local governments. It says communities should then be free to set their own spending priorities for programs like:

Public school assistance

Shelters for abused children

Road projects that ease traffic

Public transit improvements

Police and fire protection

New after-school programs

Affordable housing for working families

New senior and community centers

Measure Q also makes it clear that no more than half of Measure R's revenue should be invested in a new publicly-owned sports and entertainment complex.

In addition to helping local communities, Measure Q is designed to encourage a major regional redevelopment project that creates jobs, brings millions of dollars in new revenue to our county, and revitalizes a blighted area of downtown Sacramento, turning the now abandoned rail yard into a vibrant center of shops, restaurants, housing, sports, entertainment and a regional transportation hub to be enjoyed by all Sacramento County citizens.

San Diego, Indianapolis, Denver and other cities have enjoyed major economic boosts from similar projects. It's our turn.

Measure Q is a balanced, responsible plan for investing in Sacramento County's quality of life. It gives you the power to recommend spending priorities. It turns an exciting vision for the future into reality. Share the vision - vote Yes on Measure Q.

s/Tim Murphy, Past President Hwy 50 Corridor Transportation Management Association

s/Louis J. Blanas, Former Sherriff Sacramento County

s/Bruce Starkweather, Board Member Valley Vision

s/Brooks Truitt, Member Sacramento County Alliance of Neighborhoods

Arena Tax supporters claim Measure Q lets you "recommend spending priorities for Sacramento County." Does that mean "police and parks" are just bait to lure you to vote, but they already plan to ignore your wishes? One thing's certain: Measures Q and R increase the sales tax by $1.2 billion specifically for a new arena as a gift to the Maloofs, unless you vote no."

Supporters claim that Measures Q and R will lead to economic development and new jobs, but respected economists who study the urban impact of arenas have concluded that tax-funded arenas don't generate the economic benefits to justify special deals. In fact, Cleveland's publicly-funded stadium, which was supposed to increase school funding, actually takes away $3.5 million from classrooms every year.

The only people who are certain to benefit from Measures Q and R are the Maloofs, because they will receive ALL of the revenue generated by the arena from basketball games, concerts and all other events.

Vote "NO" on Measure Q. It's a bad deal for taxpayers, period.

s/Jon Coupal, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

s/Grantland Johnson, People United for a Better Sacramento Former Member, Sacramento County Board of Supervisors

s/Carolyn Negrete, Older Women's League

s/Manny Hernandez, Board Member, Sacramento City Unified School District

s/Ivy Lee, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Sociology, CSUS Past President, Chinese-American Political Action Committee

Because they're bending the rules, much of the revenue will go to litigate the validity of the tax. If the government loses, you won't get your money back, and you won't have an arena.

The Sacramento Police Officers Association opposes Measures R and Q because the arena deal is a tax giveaway that doesn't increase local police and fire budgets needed to staff the demands of a new arena.

Senior citizens oppose R and Q because a new sales tax will increase the cost of basic necessities for working families, seniors, and the disabled in order to build a $500 million arena to benefit the Las Vegas-based Maloof Sports and Entertainment corporation.

Local businesses oppose R and Q because, although the government promotes this tax as helping the economy, the truth is that all tax increases remove money from the private economy, leaving consumers with less to spend.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association opposes R and Q because the government is mocking the very law it is sworn to uphold by proposing a tax to finance an arena without the twothirds vote required for new special taxes.

Basketball is not an essential governmental function for which citizens should be taxed. There are more important regional needs in Sacramento County, such as our levees, crime, schools, and traffic congestion.

Major corporations like Staples and PacBell helped build privately funded arenas for other teams, why must Sacramento County taxpayers buy an arena for the Maloofs? The Arena Tax is a bad deal for Sacramento County taxpayers. Vote No on Measures R and Q.

s/Dave Jones, State Assemblymember

s/Jon Coupal, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

s/Jerry Camous, Sacramento Police Officers Association

s/Grantland Johnson, People United for a Better Sacramento Former Member, Sacramento County Board of Supervisors

s/Carolyn Negrete, Older Women's League

They desperately want you to believe Measure Q is about "basketball," when it's really about growing our economy and improving local services IN EVERY COMMUNITY IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY, FOR EVERY CITIZEN.

There's nothing "sneaky" about Measure Q. It is clearly written and perfectly legal.

Measure Q gives you + the taxpayer + the power to tell your elected officials how you want your tax money spent, directing them to set budget priorities that reflect local needs.

Measure Q protects tax money by demanding that the new revenues generated by Measure R be invested in essential services and local priorities + like police and fire protection, street lights, road improvements, after-school programs, shelters for abused children and other services that benefit taxpayers and improve our quality of life.

Measure Q specifically says that no more than half of the revenue raised by Measure R should be invested in a new COMMUNITYOWNED sports and entertainment center. A recent economic study shows this investment will generate nearly $550 million in new revenue for county taxpayers + which will completely pay for the project and fund new local services.

In addition, Measure Q clearly states that at least half of the Measure R funds be fairly divided among Sacramento County's communities to be invested according to their local needs.

Measure Q protects taxpayers, invests tax money wisely and improves life in our communities. Share the vision. Yes on Q.

s/Len McCandliss, Founder, Valley Vision

s/Rex Albright, President & CEO Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce

s/Sandy Smoley, Former President, United Way

s/Harry Rotz, Plumbers and Pipefitters, Local 447

s/Brian K. Rice, President Sacramento Area Fire Fighters, Local 552 552