County water measure a taxpayer rip-off

Many county residents have been receiving letters in the mail regarding a Clean Water, Clean Beaches Measure. I am here to tell you that I strongly oppose this Measure, and believe that the way the process is being managed is a sneaky attempt to get it passed. This is a two-step process. What you received is the first step, a Notice of a Public Hearing and Protest Form, which was sent to all residential, business and public parcel owners in Los Angeles County. If you oppose the Measure, please be sure to fill out and mail in the Protest Form that is attached to the Notice. At the Public Hearing on January 15, 2013 if a majority protest of the parcel owners throughout the County has been received, then the item will be rejected. If the protest fails, the Measure is currently scheduled to go to the second step, which could be a mail-in ballot next Spring.

The special election mail-in ballot would be sent only to property owners. It is being done this way because polls show that if a ballot measure went to all registered voters, the initiative would be much less likely to pass. While this process is in line with the letter of the law, it is not in the spirit of the law. I see this as an underhanded attempt to pass this initiative and am strongly against this taxpayer rip-off.

This Measure is a proposed fee on parcel owners that will generate funding to complete projects that protect public health, and increase drinking water supplies, by cleaning up our rivers, lakes, bays, beaches and coastal waters. I have consistently supported clean water projects throughout the County, and remain committed to improving water quality. However, I believe that every voter in the County should have the opportunity to decide on this fee, through an open and transparent initiative process, which should be putting it before the voters and not in a mailing.

The Public Hearing for this Measure is scheduled for Tuesday, January 15, 2013 in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room. At that time, if there is no majority protest, then I will again push for a Regular Ballot on an election day. I will not support the item if it is a Special Election by mail and only for property owners.

If you have any questions on the specifics of the Measure itself, please call (800) 218-0018 or visit lacountycleanwater.org.

Republished with permission from knabe.com. Don Knabe sits on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors representing the Fourth District, which includes Downey.

********** Published: January 3, 2013 - Volume 11 - Issue 38