League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	San Mateo County, CA June 3, 2014 Election
	Measure F Main Street Bridge Preservation Act City of Half Moon Bay Majority Approval Required Pass: 1,977 / 66.0% Yes votes ...... 1,017 / 34.0% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure F

Arguments Against Measure F

For three years, one person after another has stood in front of the City Council begging them not to close the bridge, not to cripple our local economy. The Council sat there stonefaced and ignored each and every one of us. Instead they continue to listen to the consultants who will profit from a huge bridge project. So now $500,000 in the hole, they are trying to hijack the people's initiative process. Our ballot measure is simple. It will require a majority vote of the citizens in a regular election before the bridge can be destroyed or expanded. No loopholes. The City wants you to believe that Measure E is the same as ours. They even gave it an identical title. But not only has the City left out every single one of our findings, they have also removed the very words that describe the purpose of the measure. There is no reason to exclude that language except to make the measure weaker and more vulnerable in a court of law. So there are now two "Main Street Bridge Preservation Acts." Why the bait and switch? Because something else happens in November: an election for City Council. After three years of willful disregard for their citizens, Council members running for re-election want the bridge fiasco put to bed and forgotten before their positions are at risk. Despite the chicanery, the only rational response is to vote NO on E and YES on F and then vote YES again in November when the identically named measure once again appears on the ballot. Yes, we know it's confusing. That's why they did this and it's why you must vote NO on E and YES on F. Save Our Bridge, Save our Budget, Save Our Town. http://www.hmbbridge.com /s/ David Eblovi /s/ Mark Heath, Chiropractor /s/ George Gipe /s/ Luciano Aruda /s/ John Lynch Rebuttal to Arguments For Don't Be Fooled! Vote NO on F! The only difference between Measure F and the initiative being circulated by opponents of the Main Street Bridge Project is the highly slanted and divisive "findings" included in their measure. If approved, it would have the exact same effect - requiring another time consuming and expensive election before any project can proceed to make the Main Street Bridge safer for cars, bikes, and pedestrians. The City Council placed Measures E and F on the ballot to gauge public sentiment now, not later. Opponents seek to manipulate public opinion with misleading, exaggerated, and downright false information. Their obstruction and delay tactics have already added tens of thousands of dollars to the Project. Don't fall for their tactics. Vote NO on Measure F and vote NO again if their measure qualifies for the November ballot. CalTrans rates the Main Street Bridge a 24 on a safety scale of 1-100 because of its failing concrete, narrow width, and unsafe alignment. Project opponents don't want its serious design safety issues corrected. 88% of the current project costs will come from federal grants. The Band-Aid approach favored by opponents doesn't meet grant guidelines, will require the bridge's complete closure for substantial periods during construction, and could cost millions in local tax dollars. Let's use available grant funds to build a bridge that's safer for our children and loved ones. Don't saddle local taxpayers with opponents' Band-Aid approach. Vote NO on Measure F! Let's fix the Main Street Bridge! /s/ John Muller, Mayor /s/ Albert J. Adreveno, Former Mayor and Senior Citizen /s/ Richard Kirchter, ADA Advocate /s/ David Lea, Farmer

"F = Failure" Vote NO on Measure F The Main Street Bridge Preservation Act would saddle the residents of Half Moon Bay with the full cost of a band-aid approach that requires complete closure of the bridge for significant periods of time and doesn't address the bridge's serious design safety issues. The City Council made the right decision to put this measure on the June ballot. Voters will be making the right decision by voting "No." Drafted by strident opponents of the City Council's plan to fix the bridge, it seeks to preserve the existing dimensions and configurations of a bridge built in 1900 when its primary use was for horses, buggies, and wagons. Today southbound trucks and buses routinely cross the centerline attempting to avoid the bridge's narrow rails which also bear the scars and paint marks of vehicles. Folks adventurous enough to brave the overgrown vegetation of Pilarcitos Creek to catch a glimpse of the bridge's concrete arch are greeted with a stark view of the bridge's structural deficiencies, large cracks, separated concrete sections, and water seeping from gaps in concrete. A major water pipeline is also at risk should anything happen to the bridge. In 2009, 2011, and again in 2013, CalTrans safety engineers gave the bridge a safety rating of 24 on a scale of 1-100 due to its structural and functional defects. The low score qualified the bridge for federal funds that will cover 88% of the cost of bridge upgrades and new, safe, and ADA accessible sidewalks. The band-aid approach proposed by bridge project opponents doesn't meet funding criteria for these grants. Vote "no" on the Main Street Bridge Preservation Act to ensure enough flexibility to continue the environmental process to find a safe fix for the bridge. /s/ Farmer John Muller, Farmer /s/ Robert Tucker, Retired - CalTrans /s/ Silvio J. Modena, Jr. Retired /s/ Peter A. Welch, Owner, Arrowhead Framing /s/ Naomi Patridge, Council Member/Housewife Rebuttal to Arguments Against Opponents content that Measure F "would saddle residents with the full cost" of construction. What nonsense! Read Measure F for yourself. You'll see that it simply requires voter approval before a demolition or major expansion of the bridge. That's it! Opponents also contend that Measure F requires complete closure and fails to address safety concerns. Where do they come up with this nonsense? Measure F simply requires voter approval before demolition or expansion. Nothing more, nothing less. The City Council has flatly refused to test the bridge. As a result, caring citizens had to hire our own engineering firm to do the work that the City Engineer and his firm should already have done. The City Council has chosen a path that endangers every business on Main Street. One frustrated citizen after another has stood before the Council to voice their objections. Long petitions have been presented to the Council and yet the Council still willfully ignores every one of us. Everyone wants a safe, convenient, and cost-effective solution for the bridge's issues. And Measure F allows the City to explore all options, up to and including demolition and replacement. What Measure F also does is require the City to listen to us, the voters, before taking dramatic action or spending a ton of money. That's why they can't afford to tell the truth. It's that simple. Please vote YES on Measure F!! http://www.hmbbridge.com /s/ George Gipe /s/ John Lynch