Tax proposal misleading
I have deep concern regarding the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors’ recent decision to move forward with a 5.8% sales tax increase on the June 2 ballot. While the measure was originally pitched as a necessary fix for a looming $300 million annual deficit in Medi-Cal funding, the justification for the tax has fundamentally changed.
It has come to light that the projected $300 million shortfall is actually spread over four years, not a single year. This is a massive discrepancy. The Federal government is not even cutting payments; it is simply slowing the growth rate from 4.6% to 2.5%.
Despite acknowledging this significant miscalculation, all but one of our supervisors voted to keep the higher tax rate on the ballot.
By maintaining the original tax rate based on faulty math, the county will generate far more revenue than is required to bridge the actual Medi-Cal gap. This essentially creates a “slush fund” under the guise of an emergency healthcare need.
I urge my fellow residents to contact their supervisors and ask one simple question: What exactly will you do with the millions in extra revenue that are not needed for Medi-Cal? If the original premise for the tax was an error, the tax rate should be adjusted accordingly before the public is asked to vote.
We deserve a government that prioritizes fiscal accuracy over opportunistic taxation.
– Frank Darling | Orinda
