Supports Measure O, Urges Letter to the Editor

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Hello there!
As many of you might know, Measure Z is sun setting in 2020 and Measure O is the new replacement!
A few facts on Measure O:
Measure O will maintain locally controlled funding without raising tax rates
Measure O would continue existing, voter-approved locally-controlled funding that cannot be taken by Sacramento
Measure O will maintain rural ambulance service and services victims of child abuse
Measure O will maintain fire protection services and provide mental health services for children
Measure O will continue 911 emergency response times and repair of deteriorating roads
Measure O will continue 24/7 Sheriff’s Deputy coverage
I am searching for those that would be willing to stand with me and endorse Measure O. If you are willing to take this stance, please reply back and let me know!
There will be an informational meeting about Measure O held on Wednesday, October 17th, 2018 @ 5:00 pm at Redway School.
Please join me and Sheriff Honsal in endorsing Measure O and attending the upcoming informational meeting to learn more!
Sincerely,
Michelle Bushnell

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43 Comments
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Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

The State has become an open maw, grabbing money that should have made local levies unnecessary. So it definitely a mix idea that locals should tax themselves to make up for the money the State takes. The local benefits are good but it just encourages the State to ever higher levels of avarice. The distorted thinking comes about how good it is to file for grants “as bringing money into the county” which shouldn’t have left in the first place.

The real solution is to rein in State budgets but good luck with that. Way too many people are delusion that the State generously provides for their wants while never remembering that the State took away the bloody money in the first place.

Hillbilly love doctor
Guest
5 years ago

Vote no on o.

Hillbilly love doctor
Guest
5 years ago

These crooks wanna rip us all off,extort us, steal our water rights,steal our property rights,come on our property without warrants against our Constitutionalrights,use our money to invade our privacy with spy sattilites and drones. And then beg us for more money. Lololol lol.

Michelle
Guest
Michelle
5 years ago

I understand your frustration, maybe infrom yourself about what the money goes for, because the things you listed are not it. Respectfully replying.

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
5 years ago
Reply to  Michelle

Simply untrue. A big chunk of Z money went to increase staff at the Sheriff’s Dept. They are the muscle on the raiding crews. Might as well be honest about it. Respectfully replying. 😉

Dot
Guest
Dot
5 years ago

Measure Z has been a great boon to our rural Humboldt communities, supporting Emergency services, including much needed Ambulance service in both the Willow Creek area and Dinsmore area out Hwy 36. As Measure O will continue to ensure extra deputies in the far reaches of our county as well as other emergency services we are happy to support it.
You get what you pay for, and this is a measure that has had visible, positive results.

Crusty
Guest
Crusty
5 years ago

I smell a bear trap. Better read the fine print

Michelle
Guest
Michelle
5 years ago
Reply to  Crusty

Fill us in, what about the fine print bothers you?

local observer
Guest
local observer
5 years ago
Reply to  Michelle

no sunset date. lets review previous similar tax proposals with no sunset date elsewhere, not one has ever passed, ever in this State or any other State I was able to research.

Michelle
Guest
Michelle
5 years ago
Reply to  local observer

I was waiting for someone to bring that up yes, no sunset date. However it can be placed on the ballot at anytime to be repealed, unlike measure z you’re stuck until the end date. If citizens believe the moneys are not being used right repeal it! The one thing I know for certain or county will suffer without this measure. You can blame it on whom ever you choose. You will for sure be bitching when you need help and it’s not there!

Dan F
Guest
Dan F
5 years ago
Reply to  Michelle

repell = repeal Just a quick FYI!!!

Michelle
Guest
Michelle
5 years ago
Reply to  Dan F

Yep, that’s me spelling 🙄.
Thanks !!!

local observer
Guest
local observer
5 years ago
Reply to  Michelle

if you were waiting then why didn’t you add it to your little “pro” only note. everything is cause and effect. big change is coming to Humboldt. brace yourself.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Crusty

I wonder if this one has a sunset provision. I suspect not and I think you are right that the control of funding has been removed from the hands of the public. But I just found where you can link to the actual text of the proposal. https://humboldtgov.org/890/Elections-Voter-Registration Hopefully you can open it- I couldn’t.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Thank you. I like sunset clauses. Although a PITA for planning in government, it helps to ensure that government does not get too comfortable and no longer thinks that public opinion matters.

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

If people really want this, why not just add a sunset date 4 years out from 2020. Sunset dates keep everyone a little more honest and help promote better stewardship of the public’s money. If we remove the sunset date and Measure O passes, it will never be placed on the ballot ever again unless someone raises a stink and gets enough people agitated to provide signatures for an initiative to have it replaced. There is nothing wrong with having something appear on the ballot every 4 years. Keeps everyone honest.

tax payer
Guest
tax payer
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

hi Kym. while this is true i would like to know if the new law “measure O” has a sunset date because this looks like the sunset date for measure Z.

if anyone would like to know what they spent measure Z monies on you can look here https://humboldtgov.org/1803/Measure-Z-Information

tax payer
Guest
tax payer
5 years ago
Reply to  tax payer

sorry i found the press release

“O would replace the expiring Measure Z Funds, and once voted in, would not expire unless by a county wide vote.”

Crusty
Guest
Crusty
5 years ago

It seams whenever a good measure is put out someone puts something in it to bite us

Hillbilly love doctor
Guest
5 years ago

It’s the money for law enforcement that’s gonna have me voting no

Michelle
Guest
Michelle
5 years ago

Hopefully you never need their help, if so I hope there are enough of them to show up for you if it doesn’t pass.
Thank you for your input

Coletta A Hughes
Guest
Coletta A Hughes
5 years ago

With all the gang crap, the more cops the better… YES!

barn owl
Guest
barn owl
5 years ago

“Measure O will maintain fire protection services and provide mental health services for children
Measure O will continue 911 emergency response times and repair of deteriorating roads”
That right there is enough to convince me to vote “yes”.

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
5 years ago
Reply to  barn owl

When have our roads ever been repaired? What mental health services? How will measure O help ambulance drivers reach their destination in a meaningful and timely manner? While I am grateful for YOUR list of highlights for Measure O I would like it if you would please provide a link to the actual Measure O so we can read the actual bill and all see how the funds will ACTUALLY be budgeted so we can all inform ourselves about all of the facts. Thank you!

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Thank you Kym!

Revenue idea
Guest
Revenue idea
5 years ago
Reply to  barn owl

The county should simply charge a higher tax on commercial marijuana corporations. As an example Monterey county has a baseline 15$ a sq foot tax .Humboldt county has a baseline 1$ sq foot tax .Hate to say it but one acre -seven acre farms should be required to pay a higher sq ft tax in this county.

Michelle
Guest
Michelle
5 years ago
Reply to  Revenue idea

So far not one penny of pot money is allocated for anything , other than going into the general fund. Unfortunately it was not well thought out , you would think each district of permits would receive some of the funding to upgrade their roads, etc..

Love fire
Guest
Love fire
5 years ago

Have you seen all the new fire equipment that volunteer fire departments got from this tax. Yuuuge! I see those Z stickers on everything which is nice because at least then I have an idea of what they’re spending this money on. I love the idea of volunteer fire being able to stay up to date with equipment WITHOUT having to do bake sales every dang weekend.

Yes on O for me.

local observer
Guest
local observer
5 years ago

please explain how these services would be maintained if retail sales countywide drop significantly.

Also local observer
Guest
Also local observer
5 years ago
Reply to  local observer

Well, a lot more than just Measure Z would suffer. The entire county, including all cities, depend on sales tax. Still, some $ for law enforcement is better than none.

Michelle
Guest
Michelle
5 years ago
Reply to  local observer

The moneys are allocated on percentage. If sales tax’s drop , and everyone knows they are right now, so do the % drop.

shak
Guest
shak
5 years ago

Great question!
Calif’s mass exodus will turn into mega mass exodus if the right businessman isn’t elected to the governor’s office. Then what? Calif’s poverty level already ranks #1 by most, #whatever for a small handful of others.
Otherwise, at first impression, I really appreciate what this measure O is trying to do. (keep local tax funds local).

I’m looking forward to their response to your question.

Are there other measures on the ballot that help the locals stay and fight?

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
Ernie Branscomb
5 years ago

Thank-you Michelle.
As many know, I am on the Measure “Z” advisory committee. I hope to be appointed to the Measure “O” committee.
The grand jury gave high marks to the committee for their recommendations on spending the funding. The Board of Supervisors got low marks for not following some of the recommendations. In defense of the Supes, they did spend the great majority of the money exactly as recommended, but they did bend some rules in allowing late applications to come forward and bypass the advisory committee.
The committee recommended a mandatory outside audit of how the money was being spent after the money was allocated. That recommendation was turned down. I think that will become a bone of contention in the upcoming cycles.
Volunteer fire Departments benefited greatly by “Z” funding because the money was spent on equipment that will last into the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, the Sheriff department has to depend on the “Z” money to staff the deputy force and will be greatly damaged if they lose funding. If “O” doesn’t pass the Supervisors will have to make some very tough decisions.
We are headed into some pretty austere times. We are going to have to work with very tight budgets. We need to stop the State from stealing our local funding. That will be pretty difficult with the populated areas voting against us. They want high speed rails, water, and our agricultural resources, now they want to stop road funding that we need badly.
I have no doubt that Humboldt County needs Measure “O” funding, but it’s like making sausage, some pretty disgusting stuff goes into making good things come out of it. I have said that if this funding starts going to too many ill-advised things, I will be leading the parade to abandon it. I have Eel river water in my veins and will not be part of the exodus leaving Humboldt and California. I will be here “until the last dog is hung” to echo and old Eel River phrase.
Ernie

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

Ernie Branscomb- you are a man after my own heart. I did look at the list of funded projects and found most very credible. A few not so much (paying a court room readjustment????) but most very much so.

Unfortunately it raised the thought that, while so much done with a relatively small amount of money, what is going on with the much larger percentage the county collects? It seems that the county is not spending the right proportion of its income for the benefit of the most of its citizens. So where does the budget go when a good share of Measure O spending should have come from the general budget already?

Barn owl
Guest
Barn owl
5 years ago

So humboldt County Sheriff’s will get huge loss of funds!!! Thats all i need to know to vote no

Michelle
Guest
Michelle
5 years ago
Reply to  Barn owl

To bad someday you may need them..

Informed
Guest
Informed
5 years ago

the truth:
Measure Z had brought the potential for a very positive change to our county. The reality of it is that those entrusted to put it to proper use have failed. And quite frankly they lack the integrity and intellect required for successful implementation of a project like this.

There are no more deputy sheriffs for this county than there were 15 years ago. And to say this measure has provided 24/7 law enforcement presence is simply a lie. I would encourage you to do some research and not simply regurgitate the politicians talking points. There are no more ambulances, no more fire persons, no more dispatchers, than there were a decade ago. There really, actually, truthfully are no significant services either.

Now, you will hear all the scare tactics about all the services and positions that are going to be cut if this measure does not pass. But most of it is not true. Yes some positions might be eliminated because those positions never actually existed before the measure, but law-enforcement officers will simply be paid for out of the budget where they were previously paid. It’s like a David Copperfield show.

I think this county would be much better served if we just got honest about our situation. I think the citizens are smart enough, and have brought enough shoulders to handle the truth. And that is the only way we are going to get real change.

The problem is not a lack of money, it’s the absence of leadership.

Fast eddie
Guest
Fast eddie
5 years ago

And my sales tax property tax State income tax.FICA Which is distributed to the states.are Now just for administration fees.No. …..On. O…..my gosh.Cut the head off the snake.

Cove guy
Guest
Cove guy
5 years ago

As far as I can tell measure z hasn’t done much for any of us in shelter cove we were promised a resident deputy two years ago still waiting. I have not really seen anything that measure z has improved here in my neck of southern humboldt. Measure O probably not going to be much better

HumboldtResident
Guest
HumboldtResident
5 years ago
Reply to  Cove guy

A qualified deputy has to want to live in Shelter Cove for you to have a resident deputy, right? It’s too far out for most.

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
5 years ago

The general fund has increased significantly with all the taxes and and fees collected from the commercial cannabis permitting process. The public is already concerned about the misallocation of funds and the corruption within our BOS and Planning Dept. as well as the sheriff’s dept. with the sheriff receiving a big raise and holding two positions as coroner and sheriff. If one looks at the budget for the Commercial Marijuana Land Use Ordinance and compares it to Measure O, you will find that the sheriff’s dept. is receiving an absurd amount of dinero. Don’t give them more money, make them spend it better. Our county government has more than enough, don’t let them use scare tactics to convince you they don’t have enough cash, our county governments pockets are fatter than ever and its all our money! We already have one of the highest sales tax rates in California. California has more taxes than any other state in the country. California also has the most overbearing and inefficient government in the country, from the state all the way down to our local offices. Make them spend the money they have better and quit voting us into poverty!!