We don't need to raise the sales tax

By George W. Mantor

Despite the slick marketing material, Vista's need for more money isn't based on declining revenues, the General Fund has increased a whopping 29% between 2000-2005.

You may have noticed that the campaign in Vista this election year isn't for mayor, it's for more of your money.

Leave it to the city with the highest poverty rate, the highest unemployment rate, and lowest household income in North County to conclude that Vistans have not been paying enough taxes.

The city claims that good fiscal management has resulted in the lowest per capita spending of any city in North County. It says that is because the population grew by 4% from 2000-2005. During the same period, the General Fund grew by 29%.

Where did all the money go?

No mention is made of the poor stewardship of the people's property or tricky bookkeeping that has allowed redevelopment to amass a whopping $18 million debt to the city that it is not being and cannot be paid back.

I'm not an accountant, but any time I see money on a merry-go+round I always wonder, is something funny going on here?

Why would the city give redevelopment a check for money that redevelopment gives right back to the city?

Why is that charade necessary?

Or consider the $1.3 million Community Development Block Grant. According to the city budget $512,253 comes right off the top in interest. Then, the cost of simply administering the remaining money is over $600,000, including salaries and operating expenses. That leaves just a little over $207,000 for capital projects.

Will we ever get what is promised and do we actually need those things?

The city says that it needs more emergency services. But it doesn't say why.

The city says it will build fire stations and ball fields but it doesn't have to because all of the money is going into the general fund.

The average city employee earns $96,000 in salary and benefits and lives in another community. So while individually they would be the primary beneficiaries of the sales tax, they won't have to pay it. Sure, get a great job, pillage a poor city and retire to the beach in Del Mar. No wonder they are among the chief supporters of the measure.

The city is in a bad way and the people who got us here aren't going to get us out no matter how much money we give them.