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More Tax Cheating: Measure Q This Time
One of the parcel taxes that councilmembers, especially Jean Quan, pushed through on the Nov. 2004 ballot was Measure Q, which doubled the library assessment. Here's what the campaign said the money would do:
What services will Measure Q fund? Measure Q will allow the Oakland Public Library to maintain crucial services at a time of major state and city cutbacks:
- Keep the Main Library open 7 days per week
- Expand branch hours to 6 days per week with more branches open on weekends
- Significantly increase the library's budget to purchase books and other material
- Retain a professional children's librarian in
every library
- Restore staff reductions in public services
- Operate the Library's African American Museum and Library and its adult literacy program (Second Start)
- Upgrade and enhance information technology in all libraries and improve access to computers and other technology
- Increase joint educational activities with local
schools
- Support the PASS! after-school homework program and other educational and cultural programs for children
- Support the Teen Services Program
- Operate a new joint school-public library in East Oakland
- Set aside a 5% reserve (http://www.fopl.org/measureq.htm)
But here's what happened when the City wrote the first budget after voters accepted Measure Q:
Librarian and administrative positions (a total of 4.52 FTE, 4.00 of which are filled) are being eliminated to save $0.4 million in the General Purpose Fund. Additional reductions are taking place in the Measure Q fund. (FY 2005-07 Adopted Policy Budget Transmittal Letter, p. 16)
This is exactly what the campaign threatened voters if they rejected the tax hike:
Q: What will happen if Measure Q doesn't pass?
A: There will be further cutbacks in services and materials, severely restricting public access to free library services throughout Oakland and further eroding the Library's ability to serve the community.
Quan and other council members promised voters and taxpaying homeowners a long list of library services, then immediately cut back staff. We were not told, "Oh, you might get some of these things, but we are going to cut other staff and services, things we will not mention before you vote. Ha ha!"
Measure Q joins Measure Y (more taxes, fewer police) and Measure DD (more taxes, wholesale tree cutting) on the bait-and-switch list: regressive taxes sold on promised services that the City does not deliver. All this happened while total City revenues rose to record amounts.
These councilmembers now want a big increase in the Landscape and Lighting assessment. Why would anyone trust one word from these bait-and-switch artists?
– Jan. 25, 2006
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