Monday, June 24, 2013
UTT Questions
Pollsters ask lots of questions. Not all of them see the light of day but many reveal interesting tidbits about the way people really are thinking. Take a look at these negative leaning probes. These sound a lot more like what i hear people asking. Look at the results. Eye-opening to say the least. All is not as rosy as some would like to paint it.
www.fixpacifica.com/docs/UTTNegativeQuestions.pdf
Submitted by
Jim Wagner
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43 comments:
Thanks, Jim. I think some of us need a little more info with what you've posted. Tell us about what the "More Likely" etc are in response to. What a can of worms!
What's your point Jim? The piece of the report that you have posted seems to be taken out of context. Why not show the entire set of questions? Better yet, support people being informed and attending or watching tonight's City Council meeting to hear the full presentation.
I really like probably the most honest question in this series:
6B: Politicians at City Hall are trying to trick you, this is really a new tax on cell phones, cable and satellite TV and internet services.
Which is exactly what it is!
spin baby spin
ok I will ask again, being senior citizens can apply to get the tax taken off the tax bill currently, is this an option now?
The presentation will be by Brian Godbe to council and he will answer questions from council.
Part of the agenda item is an agreement with TBWB Strategies to work on the campaign. In the attachment TBWB describes themselves as a "political strategy and communication consulting firm specializing in public finance ballot measures...". They have worked on several successful tax measures in Pacifica including the last 2 PSD ballot measures.
TBWB wants to help us with "modernization of the city's existing Utility Users Tax" and to "secure a stable funding stream that can't be taken by the state." This would..."protect the public services that make Pacifica a safe and desirable place..."
TBWB has their own in-house art department which sets them apart from their competition. Well, I should hope so.
TBWB proposes a fee of $10,000 for
their hands-on campaign services.
I think we all know this is going full steam ahead and what the key campaign points will be...going to keep you folks safe! When was that expenditure for Godbe approved? And for TBWB? Communication? Is it part of that "communication consultant" included when council got their iPads/Pods many months ago? No biggie, but I wonder.
252 That sounds like a powerful selling point to the senior demographic so if there is a senior opt out I'm sure council will announce it. Vote yes, but you don't have to pay. Who could resist? You gotta watch the show.
252 Your answer was just posted by the city clerk. The senior opt out will continue. Woohoo!
modernize the utility tax means pick our pockets.
Paying for a campaign consultant out of taxpayer dollars even if taxpayers will vote agst the tax?
wow
Yeah what does "More Likely" mean. I don't get this please explain Jim.
I don't get it... The dates are in the future.
Did you receive this from a gentleman named Marty McFly?
Anyone who thinks the city will have a extra 1 million if this tax is passed is sadly mistaken. Most of the new money will go to replacing the $800,000.00 that Pacifica will no longer get from the ERAF which was tied to the old redevelopment Agency.
Perhaps the city should have posted the entire poll online? Not just the 2 page whitewash. Put explanations on the political talk and descriptions. Council also has a nice powerpoint the support committee has had for days, but NOT the public.
Ours is not to reason why, ours is to pay whenever the city comes up shy.
541 the pollsters are handicapping the vote for each of the next general election races. which one has the best mojo? my money's on the soonest possible which is Nov 2013. best to hurry because this UUT nag could pull up lame any day.
Watching Channel 26. What an absolutely fascinating presentation by Mr. Godbe. Real insight into how campaign measures are sold to the voter. From his report, it's very obvious how this one will be sold to us. Obstacles identified and addressed, such as adding a 10 year sunset to this thing so opponents can't say it's a Forever Tax. Audience members are now speaking in support of the measure. Aha, first speaker mentions a safe Pacifica for his kids. Next is a recommendation to continue the senior exemption. They think of everything. Seriously, they think of everything. Can't wait for council remarks.
So what happened at the not so secret meeting Sunday afternoon?
Stick a fork in it. Susan Mannheimer, Chief of Police for San Mateo and a long-time Pacifica resident just spoke on the need to maintain robust police services, particularly in light of the early-release program being stepped up in CA prisons and the increase in local property crime.
839 did you catch the speakers in support of the measure? maybe Sunday was a rehearsal and pep rally?
Sure sounds like the Oversight Committee will be toothless. No control at all over how the money is spent. After the fact review. According to Rhodes, to give them control (target funds) would move this to the type of measure that requires a 2/3rds vote to pass.
Yes, everything's a conspiracy, and they're all out to get you, you idiotic birthers.
Buried among the positive comments in support of modernization of the UUT was a remark from Bruce Banco, former chair of FCSTF, that one of the things this city must anticipate and fund is catch-up for city employees whose salaries have been frozen and who have had give-backs in their labor contracts. He's absolutely right.
Probably unpopular, but he's absolutely right.
O'Neill and Digre both seemed to favor a 5 to 7 year sunset instead of the proposed 10 year.
You gotta love Mike O'Neill. He brought up the idea that these funds projected to be raised through the UUT might not actually be "extra" funds, but, rather, just a replacement for those lost ERAF funds or anything else the state takes. Perish the thought, but we could end up with not one extra dime!
Interesting that Therese Dyer was the only one at City council tonight to speak out against the UUT. Where were all the Fix Pacifica bloggers? Maybe at home knowing in their heart that a UUT or some other revenue generating measure is what the city needs now to positively move forward? (or at their own super secret meeting in Park Mall!?!??)
No other towns are "catching up" on wage freezes anon 938, why should we? The cuts have just begun. Hopefully this tax fails and they will be forced to make some real wage reductions.
put a fork in it. Tax defeated. These funds are winked at employee pensions and wage increases. Not a dime for the wish list crafted to seduce voters into looking at this. Let's see: city safe top 100 nationally; cops in house and not outsourced; beaches clean (parking tax) $1.5 million surplus but they want more (from your bank account to city's)
DOA.
At home watching Giants vs Dodgers!
Anonymous 9:58pm
"You gotta love Mike O'Neill. He brought up the idea that these funds projected to be raised through the UUT might not actually be "extra" funds, but, rather, just a replacement for those lost ERAF funds or anything else the state takes. Perish the thought, but we could end up with not one extra dime!"
And the point? We will also not have LESS requiring another walk on the tightrope, as Karen Ervin described the last few years of budget talks. It's called building a safety net.
pretty light support turn out for tonite's tax show. Not the A list. Be useful to see who on Council co-chairs this loser.
No point in speaking for or against. We are the revenue! It's a done deal. And from the slick presentation, it's well planned. Council just needed to get some points on the scoreboard before they could bring this up. Just in time for November 2013 election which will have a small turnout, and a high percentage of seniors--like the ones in the poll.
Council are not fools and neither are we, but us taxpayers are the only substantial new revenue source this town will see for at least a decade. It's a big hole to fill. The usual cycle of small businesses won't ever be enough. Even this may not be enough. Maybe we're it forever. We are the revenue.
1032 Don't oversell. You don't know what we'll have. That's the point. No one does. No one knows what future take-aways may happen to wipeout a safety-net and make basic needs a struggle once again. Just as Mr. Rhodes mentioned during that discussion. Believe he said something to the effect of we just don't know. We try to make sure we have enough.
1007 you're such a dreamer. catch-up is underway. some of it was built in to those contract negotiations in san jose and elsewhere. spaced out over a few years. in Pacifica, where cuts were negligible, how hard do you think the unions will have to push next year or maybe the following to make up for lost time?
We are clever and devious. They hold hearings asking for public input, but we outfox them by posting anonymously on chat boards because that's what really matters.
We win! Let's pat each other on the back and grab an ice cream cone! Or maybe some gummi worms!
1057 I don't think Council can be an official part of this campaign. Plenty of volunteer talent to work with the consultant. I was impressed with the group that spoke tonight in that they are well-connected in the community and not all from one group. I'd expect the rest of the group to have the same diversity...old, yuppie, political, non-profits, library, schools, business.
The San Mateo Chief of Police who spoke last night in favor of the UUT makes $218,000 a year plus $70,500 in benefits and $8700 in deferred payments (whatever that means.)
So the star speaker is a $300,000 a year employee for the City of San Mateo.
Really? Hahaha,
It seems opposition to this tax is very strong. I don't se 51% of people supporting it once they have the facts.
@146 Council has made sure they have their ducks in a row. Godbe and TBWB didn't fall out of the ceiling last night. Lots of work went into this. Sunset clause? Why sure! Senior opt out mentioned frequently, so they can vote yes for "safety" and not pay. Business cap, ditto. Volunteers recruited from every demographic likely to vote in an off-year election plus anyone who'd support this right-sounding 'moving forward, oh please protect me', tax measure.
And who'll lead the opposition? Where will their expertise come from? I think most of the opposition will realize there is no other solution. That isn't isn't "moving forward", it's recognition of continued failure to make this city self-supporting. At least they didn't include cable.
The opposition will post paranoid critiques of everything the city does in the comments on Fix Pacifica and pretend to themselves that it's going to do anything.
You're sounding a little paranoid there yourself, 336. Problem with other viewpoints? There are lots of opinions on here and probably more to come. Kind of free-wheeling. Bummer.
Anonymous people bitching back and forth to themselves in their own little echo chamber is not a very productive way to enact change.
Mein Gott! These critiques must stop!
Don't kid yourselves. City staff read the blogs more then you think.
@426 yeah, but it keeps the thought police away from the door.
@451 read and post. council too.
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