This is an archive of a past election.
See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/scl/ for current information.
LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund If you appreciate our service to voters, please consider helping us with a donation.
Smart Voter
Santa Clara County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
Measure A
Sales Tax
County of Santa Clara

Majority Approval Required

Pass: 339359 / 56.61% Yes votes ...... 260141 / 43.39% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Results as of Dec 17 1:46pm, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (1000/1000)
Information shown below: Yes/No Meaning | Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Full Text

Shall the County of Santa Clara enact a one-eighth cent sales tax, that cannot be taken by the state, for local priorities such as:
  • Law enforcement and public safety;
  • Trauma and emergency room services;
  • Health coverage for low-income children;
  • Economic development and job creation;
  • Housing for the homeless; and
  • Programs to help students stay in school;

for a limited period of ten years, with annual public reports to ensure fiscal accountability?

Meaning of Voting Yes/No
A YES vote on this measure means:
A "yes" vote is a vote to approve for ten years a County-wide sales tax increase of 0.125% (one-eighth cent tax).

A NO vote on this measure means:
A "no" vote is a vote to reject this County-wide sales tax increase.

Impartial Analysis from Deputy City Attorney, City and County of San Francisco, on behalf of Acting County Counsel, County of Santa Clara
Measure A would authorize an increase in the sales tax within the County of Santa Clara (the "County") of 0.125% (one-eighth cent tax) for ten years. The additional sales tax would be a general tax, meaning the County could use the funds that the tax generates for any County purposes.

The County now has an 8.375% sales tax with two main parts:

  • 7.25% in State taxes, part of which the County receives; and
  • 1.125% in special district taxes that fund transportation services.

California law allows cities in the County to impose additional sales taxes up to a certain amount. The City of Campbell imposes an additional city sales tax of 0.25% (one-quarter cent tax). No other city in the County now has a city sales tax. California law allows the County to increase the sales tax with voter approval, as long as the combined State, County and city taxes do not exceed 9.25%.

Measure A would increase the sales tax rate in the County by 0.125% (one-eighth cent tax), for a total sales tax rate of 8.5% (or 8.75% in the City of Campbell). The tax would apply to most retail sales in the County.

The sales tax increase would be a general tax, so the County could use funds from the tax for any County purposes. For example, as stated in the measure, the tax funds could be used for law enforcement and public safety, trauma and emergency room services, health coverage for low-income children, economic development and job creation, housing for the homeless, programs to help students stay in school, and other uses.

The measure requires approval by a majority of the votes cast in the County. If the voters approve this measure, then the County will start collecting this additional sales tax on April 1, 2013. The measure requires the County, upon passage of the tax, to issue an annual report to ensure fiscal accountability. The additional tax will last for ten years. At the end of ten years, on March 31, 2023, the additional tax will expire.

A "yes" vote is a vote to approve for ten years a County-wide sales tax increase of 0.125% (one-eighth cent tax).

A "no" vote is a vote to reject this County-wide sales tax increase.

Prepared by:
/s/ Jon Givner
Deputy City Attorney, City and County of San Francisco

On behalf of:
/s/ Lori E. Pegg
Acting County Counsel

  Nonpartisan Information

League of Women Voters

Silicon Valley Taxpayers Assn. voter guide for Santa Clara County, Nov. 2012
Silicon Valley Taxpayers Assn. nonpartisan voter guide for ballot measures in Santa Clara County, Nov. 6, 2012
Events

Video Presentation of Arguments Pro and Con on Measure A
Produced by MidpenMediaCenter
This election is archived. Any links to sources outside of Smart Voter may no longer be active. No further links will be added to this page.
Links to sources outside of Smart Voter are provided for information only and do not imply endorsement.

Arguments For Measure A Arguments Against Measure A
We just can't rely on the state and federal government to provide services we need here in our County. In Washington and Sacramento, they make cuts based on their priorities, not our priorities. Measure A will generate funds that cannot be taken away by the state. They can only be used for essential local services.

Vote Yes on Measure A - for services that will be there when we need them.

Measure A will help maintain high quality health care at Valley Medical Center hospital and local clinics -- used by one in four residents of the County. When every minute counts, the Emergency Room, burn center, and trauma services are there to respond to auto crashes, heart attacks, and sudden accidents. When a premature baby must struggle for each breath, an intensive care unit specialized for infants is open and ready. These are critical services our families and our neighbors depend on.

Measure A will help prevent cuts to the County's Healthy Kids program which provides coverage for thousands of children who, before the program started, did not have any coverage at all. Children with health coverage miss fewer days of school and show improvement in paying attention and keeping up with school activities.

Measure A will support public safety and law enforcement programs that keep criminals off the streets.

Measure A will support programs to help students stay in school, and stay healthy and able to learn.

Measure A will support controlling the spread of diseases like tuberculosis, whooping cough, AIDS and H1N1 through early detection and immunizations.

Measure A means we can count on these critical services for our local community.

Join us in working to provide a healthy and safe quality of life for our County and Vote Yes on Measure A.

/s/ Jeffrey F. Rosen
District Attorney

/s/ Anna Song
Santa Clara County Office of Education Board Member

/s/ Amardeep Misha
Local Small Business Owner

/s/ Gregg Adams
Former Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Chief of Pediatric Trauma,
Stanford School of Medicine Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery

/s/ Kathleen M. King
Santa Clara Family Health Foundation Executive Director

Rebuttal to Arguments For
Every time a tax measure is put on the ballot, we - the taxpayers - are promised the money will go to pay for or preserve critical services. But when the politicians get the money, they spend it as they please. Measure A is no different.

Don't be fooled. Measure A does not require the County to spend the higher sales tax revenues on healthcare, children, education, or public safety. The County Office of Public Affairs says the only spending restriction on the new money is that it must be spent in this County. So within the County, the politicians will be free to spend the money just as unwisely as they have in the past.

Don't be scared. Those in favor of higher taxes always threaten to cut the same vital services if they don't get their way. That's not what happens when we say no to higher taxes. Non-essential services, non-essential government employees, and high salaries and benefits are cut first. And there's plenty to cut in Santa Clara County.

The truth is that higher sales taxes hurt those on low to moderate and fixed incomes the most. Everything we buy will cost more and those with the least amount of money will suffer every time they go to the store to buy what they need to get by in these hard times.

Don't be fooled or scared into voting for higher taxes.

Vote NO on Measure A.

For more information: http://www.svtaxpayers.org/santa-clara-county

/s/ John W.S. Roeder
President, Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association

/s/ Edward Leo Wimmers
Chair, Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County

/s/ Matthew R. Mahood
President & CEO, San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber

/s/ Mark W.A. Hinkle
Board Member: Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association

The Board of Supervisors in their resolution calling for this sales tax increase state "the decline in the economy has resulted in substantially reduced revenues to the County....".

That may be true, but it is certainly true that consumers and taxpayers have also suffered a decline in their economy. Who's going to raise their income?

If the taxpayers have had to tighten their belts, why can't government tighten its belt?

Who's the priority here: the government or the citizens it's supposed to serve???

If Measure A passes, the County government gets to loosen its belt while all the rest of us get to punch another hole in our belt to tighten it even further. That's not right. That's not fair.

During a recession with high unemployment in California, everyone in our community has had to sacrifice. Everyone must pitch in.

In these tough times, we all must live within our means. It is not fair that Santa Clara County Supervisors ask taxpayers to further support unsustainable staffing levels, employee salaries, benefits, and bloated pension costs.

Furthermore, another tax increase will not only drive more purchases to Internet businesses and away from local businesses, further hurting the local economy, but it will hurt those on fixed incomes the hardest, i.e. the poor, the elderly, the disabled, and the retired.

Our County government clearly has a spending problem. Giving them more revenue will not fix that problem. We taxpayers can't live beyond our means and neither should our government. Tell them to be responsible by voting NO on Measure A.

Vote NO on the Santa Clara County Sales Tax increase.

For more information: http://www.svtaxpayers.org/santaclara

/s/ John W.S. Roeder
President, Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association

/s/ Edward Leo Wimmers
Chair, Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County

/s/ Brian Holtz
President, Purissima Hills Water District

/s/ Mark W.A. Hinkle
Board Member: Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association

/s/ Matthew R. Mahood President & CEO, San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber

Rebuttal to Arguments Against
Even Measure A's opponents admit the County has faced deep losses in revenues.

What they don't admit is that the men and women who work for the County have voluntarily accepted $75 million in wage and benefit cuts in order to protect vital services for our community. That's right. They voluntarily agreed to the cuts...without lawsuits or confrontations.

Unfortunately, the pressure from Washington and Sacramento to reduce essential local services has increased. That's why we need Measure A.

We can't do without 24 hour Emergency rooms and Trauma Centers. These services save lives and prevent disability.

No one knows when we might need the special programs at the Valley Medical Center Burn Unit or the Spinal Rehabilitation Unit or the intensive care unit for infants. When tragedy strikes unexpectedly, we'll be grateful that Measure A helped keep these units operational.

Yesterday, the paper reported two more homicides in what used to be safe neighborhoods. We can't reduce law enforcement staff if we want to maintain public safety.

Our children depend on us. Thousands receive their health coverage through the Children's Health Initiative. Through Measure A we can prevent cuts to this effective program - which is renowned for helping kids stay well and stay in school.

Measure A provides revenues for our local priorities. These funds can never be taken by the state.

Vote Yes on Measure A. By working together we can keep Santa Clara County a safe and healthy place to live, work, and raise a family.

/s/ Joan P. Smith
Chief Nursing Officer, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (retired)

/s/ Ngai Nguyen
MD, Cardiologist

/s/ George M. Shirakawa
Santa Clara County Supervisor

/s/ Dana C. Ditmore
President, Oak Valley Consulting, Inc.

/s/ Reymundo C. Espinoza
CEO, Gardner Family Health Network

Full Text of Measure A
This measure authorizes the enactment of a one-eighth cent sales tax. Revenues from this tax cannot be taken by the State and will be used for County purposes, including local priorities such as:

  • Law enforcement and public safety;
  • Trauma and emergency room services;
  • Health coverage for low-income children;
  • Economic development and job creation;
  • Housing for the homeless;
  • Programs to help students stay in school;

for a limited period of 10 years, with issuance of annual reports to ensure fiscal accountability.


Santa Clara Home Page || Statewide Links || About Smart Voter || Feedback
Created: December 17, 2012 13:46 PST
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://cavotes.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.