League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Santa Clara County, CA November 2, 2010 Election
	Measure B Traffic Congestion Relief and Road Improvement Measure Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Majority Approval Required Pass: 246,079 / 51.93% Yes votes ...... 227,773 / 48.07% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure B

Arguments Against Measure B

VOTE YES ON MEASURE B Measure B provides funds to repair potholes and relieve traffic congestion in Santa Clara County. Revenues are sent directly to cities to fund their highest priority roadway improvements. The money cannot be used for any other purpose and all of it will remain in Santa Clara County. Why is Measure B important? Repairs Potholes and Improves Our Streets Revenues directly benefit drivers by reducing congestion, improving traffic flow and repairing our aging streets. Provides much needed funding to repair local roadways. Santa Clara County cities face shortfalls of $144 million per year to maintain aging streets. Measure B will help address this shortfall. Helps drivers save money on car repairs. A national transportation research group reports that repairs to vehicles caused by potholes and rough roads cost car owners in Santa Clara County up to $732 annually. Measure B will improve our local roadways and decrease the number of costly repairs. Strengthens Our Ability to Receive Federal and State Funding Helps Santa Clara County become eligible for its fair share of state and federal transportation revenues by using local funds to leverage outside grants to bring in even more money for our local streets and roads. Ensures every area within Santa Clara County has a reliable source of transportation funding that cannot be taken away by Sacramento politicians. Relieves Traffic Congestion Allows residents to spend less time stuck in traffic by improving traffic flow through better traffic management technology. Reduces Pollution Prevents polluted roadway runoff from entering storm drains and contaminating water supplies through automobile-related environmental mitigation programs, including roadway sweeping and litter control. Improves Safety Increases safety on our streets through improved roadway facilities and technology. Vote YES on Measure B to repair and improve our local roads. /s/ Sam Liccardo Chair, Board of Directors, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority /s/ Carl Guardino President and CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group /s/ Ken Yeager President, Board of Supervisors, Santa Clara County /s/ Neil Struthers CEO, Santa Clara & San Benito Counties Building and Construction Trades Council /s/ Margaret Abe-Koga Councilmember, City of Mountain View Rebuttal to Arguments For No VTA Car Fee, No on Measure B The Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) already receives one cent on every dollar of taxable spending in Santa Clara County. Now the VTA wants $10 more added permanently to your annual car registration. There are problems with this "fee": In fact, it's a tax, not a "fee" so it could easily end up in court. Because Measure B would add the same charge to each vehicle license fee, regardless of your car's value or number of miles driven, it would most impact those who can least afford it -- like the poor and elderly. The spending plan only gives lip service to the fee requirement that all vehicle owners receive equal benefit. Despite extraordinarily difficult economic times and belt-tightening for Silicon Valley businesses and families, the VTA is another government agency refusing to live within its means. Instead, the VTA is spending its time (and $1 million of our money) on this election. Stimulate your household economy by voting NO on this and all the other tax/fee increases on this ballot. It's time to send politicians and government bureaucrats a clear message: LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS. Vote NO on Measure B! /s/ Douglas A. McNea President, Silicon Valley Taxpayers' Association /s/ Brian S. Darby Chair, Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County /s/ Mark W. A. Hinkle District Resident

This is a tax masquerading as a fee. Don't be fooled by Sacramento's enabling legislation that lowers required voter approval from 2/3 to a simple majority by calling this tax increase a "fee." California legislators failed to get the message last year, when we rejected continuation of the largest tax increase in any state's history. Time to let Sacramento know we are wise to their plan to push tax and fee increases at the local level. Vote NO on Measure B. Beware: this so-called fee is a permanent increase to your annual car registration cost+yes, that means it would never expire. Although the current Valley Transit Authority (VTA) spending plan directs the money to road-related projects, there is no way they can claim to speak for future distribution of the money. In their own words, "This expenditure plan will be audited annually and periodically reviewed by the VTA Board of Directors to determine if any modifications to the plan are needed." This is just the latest VTA raid on motorists' pocketbooks. If VTA's multi-million-dollar spending were in correct proportion to our actual usage, with commuter roads at 93% versus public transit at 7%, revenue for roads would already be more than adequate. Please tell VTA to correct this inequity. Vote NO on Measure B. For more information visit http://www.SVTaxpayers.org. /s/ Douglas A. McNea President, Silicon Valley Taxpayers' Association /s/ Brian S. Darby Chair, Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County /s/ Mark W.A. Hinkle District Resident Rebuttal to Arguments Against Measure B opponents' argument misses the point. Here are the simple facts: Measure B will provide local revenue for local roadway priorities. The funds will stay in our county and be invested back into our communities. Sacramento cannot take a dime of the funds away. The funds will directly benefit motorists by improving our roads and relieving traffic congestion. VTA is obligated under Measure B to distribute the money back to local cities and the county to fund their highest priority road projects. By law the money can't be used for any other purposes. VTA's role is limited. It is simply to account for and report on how the funds are used to ensure accountability to the fee payers. State and federal funding for local streets and roads has not kept pace with the needs - leaving a multi-million dollar annual shortfall for critical repairs and improvements. Measure B will benefit our entire county because: It Repairs Potholes and Repaves Our Streets It improves Traffic Flow and Reduces Congestion It Provides Opportunities for Santa Clara County to Receive Additional State and Federal Transportation Funds It Increases Safety It Invests Local Dollars in Local Communities It Creates Local Jobs With Measure B, we have an opportunity to invest in our local infrastructure and economy. Vote yes on Measure B. /s/ Sam Liccardo Chair, Board of Directors Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority /s/ Carl Guardino President and CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group /s/ Neil Struthers CEO, Santa Clara & San Benito Counties Building and Construction Trades Council /s/ William Wagner Chairman of the Board, HMH Engineers /s/ William Hadaya President, WMH Corporation

Full Text of Measure B

To repair potholes, repave and maintain local streets, improve traffic flow on local roads; increase Santa Clara County's share of state/federal matching funds; improve safety; and pay for other congestion and pollution mitigation projects; shall the motor vehicle registration fee be increased $10 for each vehicle registered in Santa Clara County; thereby relieving traffic congestion, improving streets and reducing polluted, toxic roadway runoff which contaminates water supplies, with all revenues to remain in Santa Clara County? An expenditure plan for the increased fee revenues has been adopted by the Board of Directors of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), the countywide transportation planning agency that will administer the distribution of the revenues, and provides that: (1) Local Road Improvement and Repair Program. 80% of the fee revenues will return to the cities within the county based on population and to the County of Santa Clara based on miles of roadway, to be spent on the following transportation-related programs and projects. Revenue Estimate - $11.2 million (FY 2011) Eligible Project Categories (includes all expenses for administration, planning, design, construction, procurement and operation of a Complete Streets System): Pavement Rehabilitation/Reconstruction Traffic Control Signals, Traveler Information & Safety Devices Curb & Gutter Rehabilitation/Reconstruction Roadway-related Facilities to Improve Safety Automobile-related Environmental Mitigation including Roadway Sweeping & Litter Control (2) Countywide Program. 15% of the fee revenues will be used for the following countywide programs and projects. Revenue Estimate - $2.1 million (FY 2011) Eligible Project Categories (includes all expenses for administration, planning, design, construction, procurement and operation of a Complete Streets System): Matching funds for Federal/State/Regional transportation grants applied to any roadway transportation project included in the adopted Valley Transportation Plan. Intelligent Transportation System Technologies (transportation-related technologies including traffic control signals, safety and traveler information systems) Countywide Environmental Mitigation related to pollution caused by autos and trucks (3) Program Administration. Up to 5% of the fee revenues will be used for program administration for: Expense directly related to administration, oversight, programming, reporting, surveys, initial election ballot and auditing/accounting of the program. Annual public report of expenditures Revenue Estimate - $0.7 million (FY 2011) Unused program administration funds will be disbursed through the Countywide Program. The expenditure plan will be audited annually and periodically reviewed by the VTA Board of Directors to determine if any modifications to the plan are needed. This Measure shall take effect at the close of the polls on the day of the election at which the increased fee is approved by a majority of the electors voting on the Measure.