4-17-15

John’s Soapbox:

As the Measure A Sales Tax Initiative campaign enters the last few weeks, I felt it critical to get the most up to date information out to all of the ECA membership this week. Here are some very critical links/facts:

1. Measure A Ballot Language-

Shall the people of Sonoma County enact a one-quarter percent sales tax for general governmental purposes such as public safety, local roads and pothole repair, senior, student and veterans transit and other essential services within the nine cities and unincorporated area for 5 years with annual audits made available to the public showing how all revenue was spent the previous year?

2. Absentee Ballots Mailed Out: May 4, 2015
3. Voting Day:June 2, 2015
4. Ballot Argument In Favor Of Measure A –  Link
5. Ballot Argument Against Measure A – Link
6. Rebuttal to Argument Against Measure A – Link
7. Supports: Link
8. Vote on Measure A website
   9.  Paycheck Envelope Stuffers For Your Employees
   10.  Newspaper Articles:
   a.  SR Council:Link
   b.  Vets: Link
   c.  County Spends On Roads: Link
   d.  Supes Better Do What they Say: Link
   e.  Petaluma Council Endorses: Link
9. Sonoma County Long Range Road Plan- Link
10. Contribute To Passage Of Measure A Sales Tax Initiative: link

Campaign Status:

Voters likely to vote have been identified. Walkers have started walking precincts. Mailers are being reviewed currently and a series of six mailers are planned to be sent out to those likely to vote. Phone banks have been set up, and callers have been hired to make campaign calls. We currently have two consultants (Rob Muelrath, and Grant Martin) working on the campaign. We have hired a campaign manager, Maddy Hirschfield and she is working full time on the campaign. Polling has been completed with over 600 respondents and the polling results have been used in crafting the campaign messaging. Various organizations have been contacting their membership and urging support and urging them to get their employees out to vote.

 

To My ECA Brothers and Sisters-I have been working hand in hand with the Supervisors and many City Council members for a long time on this issue. This is our BEST chance of getting funding for our roads. It is a fact that when the taxpayers step up and tax themselves to fix roads, the State and Fed funding agencies take notice and are much more likely to allocate funding for our area. You either trust me or you do not-I am telling you that the taxes collected WILL go towards roads and a small amount towards public transit as promised. If the ECA members do not step up and support and vote for this Measure, they will be hard pressed to find support by business and electeds to try this again. There is a massive effort going on that you may not see, and I have tried to include enough information for you to see the effort, but that effort does not come free. I want to thank those that have already donated, and urge all of you to get your voters to the polls and support this Measure. If you are able, we need your checks to fund the effort. Please send your contributions in ASAP to:

YES ON SONOMA COUNTY MEASURE A 2015

P.O. BOX 8249

SANTA ROSA, CA 95407

CAMPAIGN I.D. 1375382

CONTRIBUTIONS ARE NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE

 

Thanks for reading my soapbox!

That’s All Folks!

John Bly