MORE BREAKING NEWS: Knabe to change vote on sales tax

A press release from L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe just popped up in my email basket. It's a keeper and it's below.

What this means is that if the sales tax increase goes to the ballot, it will be on the general ballot. But it's no sure thing it will be on the ballot because a state bill that is needed to authorize such an election is stuck in the State Senate while members haggle over what projects are included in the bill.

Nonetheless, this is a remarkable turn of events. According to the release, Knabe changed his mind after learning that having the sales tax on a separate ballot would cost the county an additional $10.3 million. Officials at the Supervisors' meeting on Tuesday, if my notes are correct, estimated the cost to be $2- to $3-million more.

Update, 2:22 p.m:

"The mayor thanks Supervisor Knabe for doing the right thing," said Matt Szabo, a spokesman for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, in an email. "Regardless of the supervisor's position on the measure, he understands that playing games with the election process would only cost the taxpayers and burden the voters."

Here's the full text of the release:

KNABE TO CHANGE VOTE ON TRANSIT SALES TAX ISSUE

Los Angeles, August 7, 2008 – Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe has announced that at the next meeting of the Board of Supervisors, he will enter a motion to reconsider the Board’s previous vote on the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s (MTA) sales tax measure. Supervisor Knabe has also decided that at the time of the reconsideration he will change his vote from ‘no’ to ‘yes.’

Supervisor Knabe’s planned reconsideration and intention to change his vote effectively means that the MTA sales tax measure now has the three votes it needs to pass the Board of Supervisors and go before the voters as part of the consolidated November 2008 Presidential Election ballot, and not as a totally separate election.

This morning, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk informed the Board of Supervisors that the costs of a concurrent election, with the MTA sales tax appearing as a totally separate ballot in the November election, would cost taxpayers an additional $10.3 million. If the MTA measure were included as part of the main ballot, the cost would be $7.2 million, instead of the $17.5 million estimated for a separate ballot. 

Additionally, the MTA measure would have to be setup as a completely separate election that would be conducted on the same day as the November 4, 2008 general election. Polling places would require additional staffing and voters would get separate ballots, sample ballots and voter guides for both elections.

“I remain absolutely opposed to the MTA sales tax measure and I plan to spend my time and effort campaigning against it,” said Supervisor Knabe. “The plan is not equitable for all County residents and this is the wrong time to burden people with even higher taxes.”

“Although I am against the sales tax plan, I cannot in good conscience burden County residents with over $10 million in higher election costs. The taxpayers will have to pay for these costs, and that is something I will not allow to happen. Additionally, the separate ballots, voter guides, and other resources needed to conduct a separate election on the same day as the Presidential Election could cause unnecessary confusion and challenges for voters. This upcoming election is the most important in many years, and voters deserve better than a potential disaster at their polling place.”

--Steve Hymon

photo: Nico Smedley / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Raul]

Dan, the extension of the Purple Line isn't the only project that will be funded by the sales tax increase. There are those who focus on it because it has a catchy name and it suggests favoritism towards westsiders. Look at the proposal again and you'll see that it's among many, many projects the Metro will undertake. I have no illusions that some of the proposed projects won't go through (710 tunnel?).

This tax increase is so minimal, half a penny, that its effect on spending will be small. I'm sure no one will reconsider buying a big screen tv because the tax is half a percent more. What will affect them is the fact that they can't get to that high-paying job in the westside from their affordable home in El Monte.

[Dan Franks]

It really is a shame the subway extension is being bundled in with this sales tax increase.

The Subway to the Sea is really only going to benefit a very small group of commuters to the West Side, but will be paid for by all of Los Angeles in the most regressive tax increase ever.

The place this will hurt most are the local businesses that will lose out to even more mail order houses which operate out of state.

In reality, it is more likely this tax increase will be used to pay off our $15 billion budget shortfall, as it is always more politically acceptable to pay teachers and public service workers than it is to fund public transportation developments to rich neighborhoods.