By Bruce Lee–
The week of Aug. 31 was a revealing week on how business feels about Measure M – the one percent sales tax proposed by the City of Citrus Heights on the November 2020 ballot! The new tax can legally be used for any purpose and has no end date … so it’s in essence a forever tax!
The biggest news is that Kathilynn Carpenter, executive director of the Sunrise Marketplace, did a surprise survey of 310 of its members regarding the new proposed tax. According to her summary email that was sent to several council members and Chamber members:
“(A)lthough we generally steer clear of campaigns …. we thought it would be interesting to see if our businesses had an opinion regarding the proposed (tax) increase. Please note, we did not send out any opposition information, just the City Council’s presentation.”
She received a very respectable reply rate of over 16 percent, compared with the city’s survey of residents which only received responses from less than half-a-percent of the city’s 89,000 residents — when the city announced how much everyone would love this new tax increase.
Of the Sunrise MarketPlace survey, a huge 54% opposed the new tax with scathing comments attached, compared to 36% in favor with lukewarm comments, such as, “1% won’t kill us. Being out of work as a hairstylist is what is killing me.” Or, “If it’s to help the schools, I’m for it, but I don’t want the taxes raised.” (Note – Measure M does not support the schools.)
The 54% opposing wrote much harsher and four to five times more comments: “In a struggling climate it just adds insults to injury. The backers should be ashamed to put this out at this time!” Or, “We don’t need any other reasons (for) our customers to go to Folsom or Roseville for their shopping needs.” Or, “The request to increase sales tax a whole 1% in this areas is outrageous, especially during this unprecedented times. This is going to hurt people ….” Other comments were more colorful. And, that’s without any opposition material.
And, with this tone of outrage, nobody should be surprised that local Citrus Heights businesses signed the petitions to oppose Measure M by the dozens last week, and the types of businesses covered all segments. A small sampling includes Chase Cleaners, Easter’s Catholic Books, Van Maren Barber, Rosa’s Restaurant, Grocery Outlet, Citrus Heights Smog and Wash, City Market, IB Tan, Alonzo’s Pizza Depot, Pastor Auto Care, Healthy Beauty, Mizuki Sushi, and the list goes on!
So, I think we are getting a good idea that local business is not very happy with the idea of raising the sales tax for any reason … especially if there is no guaranteed purpose for the tax and it lasts forever – particularly during a pandemic and business is struggling to survive!
But, the local Chamber of Commerce missed the point. After the MarketPlace poll was released, the Chamber voted to favor Measure M. You see, the Chamber apparently never bothered to ask its own members how they felt about this tax increase before voting. Plus, the Chamber forum, billed as fair hearing of all points of view, was tainted. Oh, and by the way, the City gives thousands of dollars to the Chamber annually.
Ten days prior to debate the Chamber announced the place, date, format, and who of the opposition would be allowed to speak (nonresidents could not participate). The coalition of opposition (including the Sacramento Taxpayers Association; Ted Gaines, Board of Equalization; County Supervisor Sue Frost; social welfare groups; Councilmember Bret Daniels; Planning Commissioner Tim Schaefer; and others) asked to discuss the format, the date, and who our opposition speakers would be? The Chamber replied, “No changes allowed.”
It was not the desire or intent of the opposition to boycott the debate; we just couldn’t manage the Chamber’s arbitrary guidelines. Bret Daniels was working that evening, and I (a nonresident) was not allowed to speak, even though the City and County Registrar of Voters accepted me as an approved signer on the ballot arguments.
As planned, I arrived at the Chamber forum about 6 p.m. to drop off a written opposition statement (since I could not speak) before the 6:30 p.m. forum was to begin on August 31. Tim Schaefer accompanied me.
I was clearly advised by Diane Riehle (interim executive director for the Chamber and wife of Ray Riehle, debate organizer) that I was not welcome and should leave. In addition, they told Tim Schaefer that he could not speak on behalf of the opposition, since he had not notified Mr. Riehle at least six hours in advance.
So, with two of the three opposition chairs literally empty, Tim and I left. The third opposition chair had been filled by Mr. Riehle when he allowed Mr. David Warren to speak against Measure M. I’m sure Mr. Warren did a good job, but as he said, he was speaking just for himself and not for the organized opposition.
The whole thing seemed odd and unnecessarily arbitrary … particularly to tell the opposition who their speakers could or could not be.
Then, guess what was discovered two days later? The Treasurer for the “Yes on M” political action committee (PAC) is Diane Riehle, the Executive Director for the Chamber and wife of Ray, the moderator. And, she filed the PAC organizing statement on August 10 … three days before the City Council even gave final approval to this crazy tax on August 13. I will let you read the “tea leaves” on that one!
Bruce Lee is president of the Sacramento Taxpayers Association, and a spokesman for the No on Measure M campaign.
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