This is a letter to the editor I submitted to both the San Mateo Daily Journal and the Palo Alto Daily Post.
Editor:
San Carlans value their quality of life and want to maintain it. But polling reviewed by the City Council on June 22nd showed the arguments being made by Measure G have little or nothing to do with the priorities polling identified.
The second highest priority was “do something about parking downtown”. Not only are there no current plans to address that, but the downtown redevelopment will perpetuate the loss of parking that took place during the pandemic.
The top priority was “nothing needs to be done”. While a testimony to the great job the city does managing its finances, it’s hardly a rousing endorsement of new taxes.
The poll showed people are sensitive to maintaining public safety and local roads. But the budget discussion at the same meeting did not mention public safety funding issues. The Council also redeployed road maintenance funds because more is coming in than expected.
I think this confirms my earlier conclusion: Measure G will give the city more money to add nice things, but it doesn’t fund significant issues. Because there currently aren’t any.