STAY COOL for Grandkids has teamed up with partners Engage Encinitas and North County Climate Change Alliance to offer a moderated forum on the SANDAG Half Cent Sales Tax Initiative (Measure A on this November’s ballot). Please join us on Thursday, October 6, 2016, 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the Encinitas Library: 540 Cornish Dr, Encinitas, CA 92024.
In July, the board of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) approved the final version of a ballot measure called “Measure A: San Diego County Road, Repair, Transit, Traffic Relief, Safety and Water Quality” to increase the countywide sales tax by a half cent.
The tax is expected to raise $18.2 billion over 40 years to fund transit, freeway improvements, bike networks, preserve open space and other community projects. It will need approval from two-thirds of county voters to pass on Nov. 8, 2016.
Politicians and community leaders from both sides of the aisle have vocalized support for the tax measure, saying it is a good compromise that will fill some of the region’s most pressing needs. Public transit would get the largest share of the revenue the tax would generate (42%). The second-largest share of revenue would fund local infrastructure projects. Freeways would get about 14 percent.
However, a group of environmental and labor organizations called the San Diego Quality of Life Coalition object to the measure’s funding of general-purpose freeway lanes and say it will not do enough to relieve traffic congestion, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the health of our communities.
STAY COOL has not taken a position on Measure A. We hope you will join us at this forum to help answer some tough questions about the half cent sales tax and how it will (or will not) support greenhouse gas reduction and environmental protection in San Diego County.
The Oct. 6 forum will be moderated by the League of Women Voters (North County chapter). We will hear from these two panelists:
In support of Measure A
Lesa Heebner, Solana Beach Councilperson
Lesa is has been a Solana Beach resident since 1976. She was first elected to the council in 2004 and has since served three terms on the council, including three terms as mayor in 2007, 2011 and 2015. She led the successful grassroots effort to redesign the Coastal Rail Trail and has been involved with the redesign of Fletcher Cove Park and Fletcher Cove Community Center.
In opposition of Measure A
Jana Clark, the Cleveland National Forest Foundation
Jana is on the board of the Cleveland National Forest Foundation, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving the plants, animals and other natural resources of Southern California mountains. She instructs Environmental Studies courses at De Anza College and is passionate about the natural world and environmental activism.
This event is free. Check in begins at 5:30 pm and the moderator will begin the program at 6 pm. Please RSVP here to let us know if you will attend.
For questions, contact: sarah@staycool4grandkids.org.
