The Fiscal Conservative Liberal

Posted on June 7, 2006 by Gene

Tax proponents here in Santa Clara County are up in arms today because voters yesterday defeated a proposed 1/2¢ sales tax increase. We already pay 8.25% tax on purchases; this may not seem like it’s incredibly high when compared to, say, Maryland or DC or some other localities, but in addition to that sales tax, we also pay all kinds of fees for things, which is just a fancy word for, yes, tax.
So it’s hardly surprising that people decided not to tax themselves more. Those who were for this tax claim it was designed to “rescue the financially imperiled BART extension to Silicon Valley and restore health services for the poor.” The only problem is, the tax wasn’t earmarked for those purposes. Instead, it was headed right for the general fund, with no restrictions on how it would be spent. This is the first tax proposal that didn’t have specific directives on how it should be spent, and people here are already hopping mad over such wise expenditures as $4 million to subsidize the San Jose Grand Prix. Imagine how much health care for the poor that $4,000,000 could have provided.
The BART extension was being planned — and in financial jeopardy — when I was here in 1980. 26 years later, it’s still no closer to being started. In 26 years, millions of dollars could have been invested in upgrading the existing commuter rail services and the creation of a more useful light rail system around San Jose (a boondoggle if ever I saw one, with empty trains that don’t actually go anywhere that anyone wants to go).
There is a pervading sickness here in California that you never cut back, never spend money wisely, because you can always tax and fee people to get more money. I’m being soaked and squeezed for tax revenue as it is, unemployed and living on savings. What is it getting me? Maybe I should start applying for some of those famous California benefits?