I spoke with Encinitas Mayor and County Board of Supervisors candidate Kristin Gaspar today about the SANDAG tax scheme. We are hopeful she can get its support on the Encinitas City Council for an up or down vote– We’d like to smoke out the tax hikers on the City Councils. (FWIW, Kristin Gaspar is opposed to the SANDAG tax scheme).
While I was pitching my “Republicans oppose any and all efforts for new taxation”, Mayor Gaspar interrupted me:
GASPAR: Have you read that proposal?
BRADY: Yeah, it stinks.
GASPAR: It’s basically a bribe for the cities to vote its support. They inflated the tax with a bribe so that SANDAG city reps could say “Oh but it brings so many dollars to our city”. If a city REALLY needs to raise taxes, it should do so locally.
(This doesn’t mean Mayor Gaspar wants to raise the Encinitas sales tax–she was making a point)
BRADY: Um, Republicans should be opposing any and all…
GASPAR: Yeah, hear me out. The SANDAG tax reminds of those fundraisers our kids’ schools do …you know, the ones with the free frozen yogurt “prize” to raise the money (I’ve known Mayor Gaspar for 5 years and we both have school aged children).
BRADY: I know what you’re talking about. (chuckling)
GASPAR: My kids come home from school, all excited because they are having a fundraiser. They each want me to write a check for $150 so they can win a $5 gift certificate. I have to slow down and explain to them that the schools are funded properly. Then I have to explain that it’s cheaper just to buy them the $5 of frozen yogurt rather than pay $150 to a properly-funded school to get a $5 yogurt.
BRADY: That’s funny. I remember those days (my daughter is 6-9 years older than her kids). That’s exactly what this SANDAG tax scheme is, a $30 frozen yogurt cone. So you’re against the SANDAG tax scheme?
GASPAR: Absolutely.
BRADY: Are you opposed to voting that way on an agenda item on your Council?
GASPAR: Absolutely not. Voters should know who supports and who opposes this tax.
BRADY: Can you get it on the Encinitas Council agenda?
GASPAR: I’ll do my best.
The no new taxes coalition is strong in San Diego County. Don’t do it. Please, don’t do it.
Comments 2
Encinitas’ SANDAG rep is Lisa Shaffer, who tried to push a sales tax increase of her own in Encinitas a couple years ago.
Would Shaffer have to represent the will of the council with her vote at SANDAG, or can she do whatever she wants?
Traditionally, Councils don’t “bind” their SANDAG reps. I just hope we can get up and down votes on the tax