Where we stand on two countywide sales tax measures
After taking an early stance on statewide Propositions 15 and 16, our board of directors considered two countywide sales tax measures on September 18: Measure W in Alameda County and Measure X in Contra Costa County.
There is no doubt that sales taxes are tough on consumers. With unemployment just under 10 percent there is a risk that an increased sales tax will burden the very people proponents hope to help.
And we'll admit, the lack of an expenditure plan is a concern. Promises made on the campaign trail are not a guarantee of results. To ensure that those promises are kept, independent oversight committees need to be created with EBLC members at the table. If these measures pass, ensuring accountability for results will be our top priority.
However serious our concerns, the urgent and ongoing needs that both measures plan to address are profound and were enough to earn our support on both countywide sales tax measures.
In Contra Costa, sales tax dollars will help keep the only public hospital open and support much-needed fire services. We also hope to see these funds used to support early childhood education and reduce the opportunity gap in the county. These are not needs thought up at a campaign meeting, in fact, they were identified through an in depth needs assessment conducted by a diverse group of stakeholders over the last year. This increase will sunset in 20 years.
In Alameda County, the focus of the funds is on addressing the ever-worsening homeless crisis. The $150 million/year that would be raised by the measure may not solve the housing supply crisis, but it will go a long way towards helping those at risk of homelessness stay in their homes and expanding mental health resources. This increase will sunset in 10 years.
These are worthy investments that are core to the East Bay Leadership Council's mission to increase quality of life in the region and we hope you join us in voting YES on Measure X and Measure W.
2020 Ballot Measure Positions Recap
Prop 15 - Vote No
Prop 16 - Vote Yes
Measure W (Alameda County) - Vote Yes
Measure X (Contra Costa County) - Vote Yes
Alameda County in the red (in a good way)
On Tuesday, Alameda County was downgraded from purple to red in the state's color-coded system. The change is positive news but still signifies "substantial" risk of COVID-19 in the county.
Moving into the red means that the state will allow additional businesses to open without restrictions, but local health officers still get the final say and quickly announced a cautious approach.
"As with all other re-openings, it will be important for Alameda County to take a measured and phased approach to avoid dramatic increases in disease transmission and re-closures," said health officials in a press release on Tuesday.
Alameda's progress surprised many as the county made headlines last week with a frightening number of COVID-19 deaths. Luckily, a data glitch was largely to blame for the spike and both new cases and positivity rate continue to fall.
Neighboring Contra Costa County stayed in the most restrictive purple tier this week, but data is trending in a healthy direction and county leaders continue to encourage widespread testing.
Sign up to volunteer at your local food bank
To the extent that you are healthy and able, we want to encourage you to set aside time every month to volunteer. There are many organizations that could use a hand, but after discussions with California Volunteers we have decided to focus our time at East Bay food banks.
Volunteer shifts are available almost every day of the week at both the Contra Costa & Solano Food Bank and Alameda County Community Food Bank.
If you would like to join our team at an upcoming volunteer shift, please email mark@eblcmail.org for details.
Must read // Governor signs order banning sale of new gasoline cars by 2035
Alan Ohnsman in Forbes: California, the biggest buyer of vehicles in the U.S., is banning sales of new gasoline- and diesel-powered cars and trucks in the state by 2035 with an executive order signed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
It’s the single-most aggressive such action ever taken by any U.S. state or nation to fight carbon pollution that’s fueling higher temperatures and wildfires in California and persistent air-quality problems from automotive exhaust.
