Let the Public Speak: Thoughts on Measure A
A permanent fix
EDITOR: With all this talk about Measure A, I have a few observations. Yes, our county roads are in deplorable condition. So is Highway 101 north of Windsor. That’s not a county road. As soon as you hit Mendocino County, Highway 101 improves dramatically. The same phenomenon occurs on Highway 128; as soon as you enter Mendocino County, the surface is infinitely better. The same is true of most of the county roads I’ve traveled in Mendocino County.
It’s interesting to me that a poorer county manages to keep its roads in better repair. Is it just poor management of federal, state and local tax dollars? Is Sonoma County getting short shrift of the tax money? Clearly that’s the case with the tax money allocated to Sonoma County for county roads, but why are some of the highways also in such poor condition?
Also, instead of dinging taxpayers for more sales tax money to repair the county roads, why aren’t we lobbying in Sacramento to effect a change in the way gas tax money is allocated to each county? Seems like that would be a more logical place to start, although it should have been started years ago. It would provide a permanent fix.
ANNETTE FLACHMAN
Windsor
A contractor’s view
EDITOR: I have lived and worked on paving projects and roads around Sonoma County all of my adult life. I am a contractor, so I know what it takes to pave the roads, versus what it takes to rebuild the entire road section. I never want to gouge my customers with unnecessary expense, so I do not want to see unnecessary cost to the taxpayers. These roads are in a time-sensitive condition, and the longer we wait to deal with them, the more it is going to cost us. We can avoid that extra cost by passing Measure A.
Paying $40 a year in additional taxes is cheap compared to what it will cost if we do nothing.
Water kills our roads if it can get through the surface course and soften the sub base. If that happens, you cannot just place new surfacing on the top. You have to dig out all the damaged material underneath and rebuild the entire road section. That is very expensive.
I am voting yes on Measure A to help save what is left of our roads.
RODNEY SICHEL
Santa Rosa
Take a leap of faith
EDITOR: As a lifelong Sonoma County resident (58 years), I have watched the rural areas of Sonoma County expand exponentially. What were once lightly traveled country roads for the farming community have become expressways to the country lifestyle. In all that time, these same roads have never been improved upon. Although the current Measure A is not perfect in that the monies will go into the general fund, the amount of watching by such groups as SOS Roads, Operating Engineers Local No. 3 and many others will ensure that the current and future members of the Board of Supervisors will have their feet held to the fire and be turned out of office if any impropriety occurs. I know this will require a leap of faith by the voting public, yet the alternative will be worsening roads.
MICHAEL HUGHES
Graton
Measure A audits
EDITOR: In a recent mailer, Denny Rosatti of Sonoma County Conservation Action states that Measure A “holds elected officials accountable by requiring annual public audits.” SOS Roads makes a similar statement regarding Measure A’s “required audit.” Those statements led me to believe the audit would be specific to Measure A revenue and spending. However, when I read the full text of Measure A in the sample ballot, I found no such requirement. A call to the county verified that the full text of Measure A contains no special audit requirement, only the routine annual audits required by California Government Code Section 29060.
Yes, the ballot card states annual audits shall be performed, and I’m certain the supervisors could request audits in the future, but that’s not stated in the Measure A language.
I believe Rosatti and SOS Roads will do their best to hold the supervisors accountable. But cities will receive the majority of the revenue, 56 percent. How will they hold the cities accountable, and how will the cities expenditures be audited?
Don’t be misled by statements that Measure A requires specific annual audits. It does not. The audit is merely a promise, just like the promise to spend the taxes on roads.
TIM BOSMA
Santa Rosa
Fix pensions first
EDITOR: It’s clear to me: No more voting on tax hikes until government pensions are adjusted to be more reasonable. The pension fund is out of control. Government agencies should all get together to resolves the problem at the same time. In the meantime, I’m voting no on Measure A.
LUCY WILKES
Santa Rosa
Hidden agenda
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