League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Santa Cruz County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
	Measure E Santa Cruz City Clean Beach tax City of Santa Cruz 2/3 Approval Required Pass: 23,112 / 76.25% Yes votes ...... 7,200 / 23.75% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure E

Arguments Against Measure E

We love Santa Cruz for its beaches, ocean and natural beauty. Our local economy and community's health depend on protecting this beautiful environment. Each year our streets and parking areas produce pollutants which enter the river and ocean. It's time to prevent and treat this pollution in order to protect our public health, fish and wildlife. Measure E will help keep our water clean, protect our children and families, and reduce contamination of our river, beaches and ocean by dangerous bacteria and toxic substances. Measure E will improve our storm drains and reduce stormwater pollution before it reaches the beaches and the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. Measure E will help prevent pollution in the San Lorenzo River, provide for removing trash and debris, and help restore its natural environment. Measure E keeps ocean waters cleaner for surfers, swimmers, and all ocean activities. Strict new state regulations have increased the requirements for clean-up of beaches and ocean pollution. Measure E allows our community to continue its leadership in protecting our beaches, ocean and river. Without Measure E, cuts in other vital services will need to be made as the City fulfills these new requirements. Measure E is an investment in our community's future. It will fund engineering, cleaning and restoration projects to ensure that our commitment to clean ocean, beaches and river continues for future generations. All the funds raised by Measure E will be subject to review by an independent Citizen's Oversite Committee, and will be spent in our community. Surf City needs your help. Join us in voting Yes on Measure E to protect the unique and priceless environment we call home. Vote Yes on Measure E -- for today and the future. s/ Jack O'Neill O'Neill Wetsuits, O'Neill Sea Odyssey s/ Laura J. Kasa Executive Director, Save Our Shores s/ Joseph Marini President Marinis At The Beach s/ Lisa C. Sloan Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences; Director, Climate Change and Impacts Laboratory s/ Fred Keeley Trustee, California Ocean Science Trust Rebuttal to Arguments For Beach closures and contamination warnings at Cowell and Main Beach resulting from polluted runoff are as frequent as ever, even though we have been paying a Stormwater Fee since 1994 for essentially the same purposes as those mentioned to justify this new Tax. It has not been shown that it is a lack of money that has prolonged this unhealthy situation. This Tax was drafted with no public participation. It has been sprung on the public, with the promise that adding a new Tax on top of an existing Fee is going to meet lofty, but vague, environmental goals. The proponents' argument that there will be a Citizen's Oversight Committee rings hollow because the Committee will not have the ultimate decision-making power. Some think that this new tax will bring environmental progress, but which specific improvements will it actually deliver? In the case of the present Stormwater Fee, its foremost purpose was "to improve water quality of surface water and stormwater runoff," but instead the Fee was redirected to fund, mostly, replacement/retrofit of bridges. This new Tax may suffer the same fate. Here is an alternate plan: instead of a new Tax for nonspecific generalities, let us use the revenue from the existing Stormwater Fee for specific pollution abatement projects for the next few years; show visible results; identify and plan specific projects for the longer term, and then evaluate whether additional tax revenue is truly needed. Until then, vote NO. s/ Aldo Giacchino

While we certainly need to reduce storm water pollution, the purposes of these Tax dollars are nonspecific. The first priority is to develop specific plans, with public input, and evaluate the available/additional fiscal resources needed. Through this Special Tax the City reverses the process. It taxes us first, then determines what to do. The City already imposes a Fee to fund stormwater runoff projects. The "Santa Cruz City Storm Water Enterprise Utility Fee" has been on our property tax bills since 1994. It has been used to improve San Lorenzo River bridges and levees, but it has not produced any visible storm water pollution abatement. Now that the bridges and levees are restored, this existing Fee should fund stormwater projects, as originally promised. The new Tax is a ruse to get additional money, on top of the existing levy, without any specific improvement guarantee. Runoff is largely caused by factors such as parcel size, area covered by buildings and pavement. The existing Fee recognizes this through a non-single-family dwelling rate of $261.08 per acre. The proposed new Tax is arbitrary and does not consider parcel size. The rate for shopping centers, big box stores, commercial, industrial, and parking lots, is only a flat $94 per parcel, while the rate on single family dwellings is $28. By failing to give proportionate weight to the factors that generate runoff, the proposed Tax is grossly discriminatory against single family dwellings. This Measure imposes the Tax for the fiscal year which began last July, even though voters will not vote on it until November. The retroactive imposition of the tax violates the constitutional provision (Art. 13C) that no Special Tax may be imposed until approved by the voters. Vote No. Insist on a fair program and specific deliverables. No more blank checks. s/ Aldo Giacchino Rebuttal to Arguments Against Respected voices from business, environmental and community organizations agree; Measure E demonstrates sound planning for environmental protection. Over the years, Santa Cruz has made steady progress in protecting our river, ocean and beaches, based on thorough environmental and engineering work plus extensive public process. Measure E will fund NEW environmental cleanup measures required by the California Water Quality Board and Federal Environmental Protection Agency. The existing Stormwater Fee has a dual purpose: flood control and stormwater cleanup. Since 1994 this fee has helped fund San Lorenzo River levee improvements, reconstruction of bridges to reduce flooding hazard, and related projects. $4.5 million generated by this fee has leveraged over $60 million in state and federal funds to benefit our community and environment. Unfortunately, inflation since 1994 has severely limited the existing Stormwater Fee's ability to fund new, necessary water quality measures. The City has developed a detailed Stormwater Management Program for future work. (http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pw/Stormwater2008/index.html,) With State approval, this plan will guide spending of Measure E funds. Measure E is fiscally responsible. It creates a separate fund to ensure that revenues are spent appropriately. An independent Citizens Oversight Committee ensures the cost-effectiveness of required pollution prevention and cleanup. And contrary to opponents' claims, Measure E is not retroactive; it won't appear on tax statements until 2009. The modest flat rate structure reflects shared responsibility for water cleanup costs. It's a reasonable solution for necessary protection of our watersheds, river, beaches and ocean. Vote YES on E. s/ Dan Haifley Co-chair, Clean Water Campaign s/ Mary Silver Prof. UCSC-Ocean Sciences s/ Laura Kasa Executive Director, Save Our Shores s/ Stefano Carniglia Owner Carniglia's on the Wharf s/ Nik Strong-Cvetich Associate Director Coastal Watershed Council