Top 10 Measure S myths
#1. We can”t use money from Vector Control to deal with quagga and zebra mussels: We can, as these mussels have sharp shells that can cause serious cuts, in fact both the measure S and measure L campaigns have pointed this out. Under state guidelines any animal that can harm humans is a vector, and no state agency has ever said that Vector Control money cannot be used on mussels. [Editor”s Note: According to Vector Control, as it stands now the state”s interpretation is that Vector Control has no authority to take such measures].
#2. Measure S funds weed control using “harvesting and other weed control methods:” No harvesting was done by the county this year on the lake, they exclusively used poison, which is the non-politically correct term for “other weed management methods.” This will probably continue to be the case.
#3. No need to worry about how the money will be spent, as there will be “oversight:” All measure S funds go to the watershed protection district, who”s board of directors are our county board of supervisors, who pay themselves a handsome second salary for performing that task. They will make all the budget decisions, and will also appoint all the oversight committee members.
#4. We need millions of dollars to keep mussels out of the lake: we have eight public boat ramps on the lake that could be controlled by automatic gates for less than $8,000 each for the solar powered gate, card readers, concrete K rails, signs and all other components. A $5,000 fine (just like at Tahoe) for allowing an un-stickered boat to launch from a private ramp will solve that issue, so for less than $70,000 we could have a credible program in place – and should have years ago.
#5. Measure S will raise $24 million over ten years: Only if the economy worsens, and if there is no inflation or growth in the next decade, otherwise this tax will be much higher-probably by several million dollars. This is another deliberate attempt to misinform by using financial projections that are very unrealistic and unprofessional.
#6. We need millions of dollars in matching funding to finish the Middlecreek project: Yes, we do need the money and already have it. When Robinson lake is refilled hundreds of acres of mosquito habitat currently sprayed at great expense by crop dusters will be far too deep to breed mosquitos, therefore vector control money can be used for “source reduction.”
#7. Projects like removing sediment from the mouth of Burns Valley creek need funding: A sum total of two very small projects have been proposed after having decades to think about it, and for some reason no attempt is being made to do anything about the sediment entering the creek.
#8. Tourists won”t come if we don”t pay to poison weeds: Go to nolakeweeds.com and review all 14 maps, then you will understand how untrue this is. Most poisoning is done to make private docks usable for year-round residents, who are the only people who benefit from this gift. Public financing for weed control should be limited to public boat ramps and beaches, and should be funded by the hotel tax.
#9. Farmers will benefit from measure S: Actually, measure S taxes local farmers to protect Clear Lake water owned by their competitors in Yolo county, who pay nothing. There is zero benefit to local farmers, but they will get to help pay the extra $24+ million in new taxes.
#10 Tourists will pay most of this tax: This is probably the most outrageous claim made by measure S proponents, as the statistics make it perfectly clear that is not the case. How could 15,000 people spend more in 3 months than 68,000 spend in 12 months? Sales tax revenues spike as much at Christmas and tax refund time as they do during the summer, and that non-summer spending is by locals. Do you really believe most of the people in K-Mart are tourists, year-round? All sales taxes are regressive, which means they hurt the poor the most, and the truth is most of the $24+ million will be paid by low income local residents.
Philip Murphy, Lakeport
