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This is a political strategy, one designed to scare you into voting to extend our current record setting 10% utility tax rates out until the distant year of 2022. Which is quite a long time to approve such a thing, especially with no recourse to a citizen review. When Measure U, the original 10% UUT ballot initiative, was approved in 2008, the sunset period was far less. Meaning that as taxpayers our ability to maintain a semblance of control over our ability to tax ourselves has been diminished by this City Council.
If you also consider that this rather anomalous City Council also came within a banana step of taking away the UUT Oversight Committee, you will see that there is a definite degree of hostility to maintaining a resident voice in taxation matters.
This Hostage Taking Strategy (HOTS) also shows a definite contempt for the cerebral capacity of the residents of Sierra Madre. It reduces everything to a very simple and mindless either/or equation, done in the expectation that the citizenry will then be sent into a full blown panic at the thought of losing the Sierra Madre Police Department. And despite the severe tax hit it puts on seven distinct and separate categories of utility usage, HOTS will somehow frighten many residents of this town into voting to continue the California leading double digit utility taxes we are paying now.
But is the HOTS premise actually true? Does the Sierra Madre Police Department somehow automatically disappear should the voters once again reject an extension of what was originally supposed to be only temporary utility taxes? Is it somehow baked into the ballot statement, and becomes the law should you vote NO?
Of course not. After all, we did have a Police Department prior to Measure U when utility taxes were at 6%. We even had a PD when Sierra Madre had no utility taxes whatsoever.
Though this might seem paradoxical to some, a rejection of any extension of our current 10% UUT rates could actually improve our position with the SMPD, and guarantee its continued survival here. The point being that without the cash the current UUT brings in, City Hall would then be put into the position of having to cut spending for real this time. And as the consumer of well over 50% of our General Fund moneys, the SMPD would be the most logical place to start.
The SMPD, on the other hand, would no longer be able to simply assume the money is there, and that all they need to do to get it is launch another series of lawsuits and coercive job actions. Instead their jobs would definitely be on the line, and that in order to save them they would have to sit down with the City and do some truly serious renegotiating.
The most likely result would be a new, and less onerous to the taxpayers, deal. I seriously doubt the SMPD would be willing to simply throw away their jobs over a pay cut.
Isn't that how it works in the private sector? When the money is no longer there can your boss just simply tell people to give him more money? Of course not. Why should things be any different with government?
So let me ask you, how would this work against the interests of we the taxpayers? It wouldn't. The city would be able to better maintain the public safety services we have now, and we just might be able to save this place. A small town of under 11,000 people can only be expected do so much.
Besides, I know I'd like to see a cell phone bill of under $100 a month again. It's been awhile.
The Sierra Madre Yellow Water Media Blitz
The City of Sierra Madre hit the news big time yesterday. As is usually the case, it wasn't for anything particularly good. It almost leaves you longing for a bear story.
Here is a list of all of the newsy stuff about our yellow water situation that I have been able to find. The Associated Press has now picked up this story, so a second day of coverage is pretty much a lock.
Sierra Madre Residents Alarmed by Yellow-Colored Tap Water(NBC Southern Californialink. Includes news video coverage that features a Bruce Inman cameo.)
Sierra Madre's Tap Water Is A Disgusting Shade Of Yellow(LAistlink)
Tap water in Sierra Madre is yellow, and that's making residents blue(Daily Journallink)
City has yellow tap water due to supply changes(KMPH Fox 26link)
Yellow Tap Water Has Sierra Madre Residents Seeing Red(CBS News LAlink)
City has yellow tap water due to supply changes(San Jose Mercury Newslink)
In Sierra Madre, the yellow tap water is a turnoff(Los Angeles Times link)
Let me know if you see any others.
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