Candidate Nadel's Candid Confession

At the mayoral debate hosted and televised by KGO, candidate and councilmember Nancy Nadel responded to a question from a viewer who has seen maintenance at Lake Merritt decline in recent years. Nadel said:

"We did pass Measure DD. But just like the grants at the state level and most other grants, they're never for maintenance. And so we have gotten backed up on maintenance. We've put a lot of money into new parks, but we don't have the funds to maintain the ones that we have built. So we are now asking for the voters to increase the funds in our Landscape and Lighting District. We hope they vote Yes on it so that we can maintain the parks better." (emphasis added)

Would you lay out the down payment for a second house when you don't have the funds to make two mortgage payments? Of course not. But Nadel admits that is exactly what she and other councilmembers have done.

Nadel's confession is not really news. At a community meeting on Measure DD on November 15, 2004, city official Brooke Levin spoke. "Brooke manages 390 people in her Department. Brooke mentioned that there has been limited coordination between the Capital Group of PWA and the Maintenance Groups (PWA and Parks) within the City. One example she gave is the Eastmont Police Station, a brand new building was built but no operation and maintenance budget was allocated." We previously reported more of her examples.

So much for the candid part of Nadel's confession. The falsehood lies in her appeal for an increase in the LLAD tax. Like all parcel taxes, the LLAD tax has nothing to do with its stated purpose. It will not maintain the parks. The terms of the increase specify that 45 cents out of every new dollar go to the general fund and provide no new landscape or lighting services. Parcel taxes merely free up general fund money for the pet projects of councilmembers.

Vote for whom you choose for mayor, but property owners should mail in their LLAD tax hike ballot with a NO vote.