The League of Women’s Voters says yes on Measure L
Editor: The Board of The League of Women Voters of San Joaquin County agreed to endorse Measure L after careful consideration. The League understands that sales taxes may create a greater burden for people with low or fixed incomes, but California has done much to mitigate that by exempting purchases for necessities like groceries and prescriptions.
Because of the way residential and commercial properties are taxed in California and the difficulty in persuading voters to support special taxes, cities are left with few alternatives to sales taxes for providing the public services that citizens need and expect.
Lodi, like other cities in California, has no choice but to pay for pension liabilities that are the result of decisions made by city leaders many years ago in response to different economic expectations.
At the same time, the city needs to be able to hire public safety workers and maintain staffing in other areas, and to do so, Lodi needs to be able to pay competitive wages. Some of the overall cost for city employees goes to pensions and other benefits, as it does for employees in the private sector.
The League endorses the commitment to citizen oversight by the Lodi Chamber of Commerce to ensure that tax money is used as Measure L proponents have said it will be used, with the focus on services rather than on salaries.
It has been reported that supporters of Measure L have hired a Bay Area consultant to assist with the campaign and that financial support includes donations from a political action committee for Realtors.
The League at both the state and national levels ensure that monied interests do not exercise undue influence on public policy. The League believes that the amount raised and spent in this case represents a reasonable effort by local proponents to maintain services that have made Lodi a desirable community. KATHY CASENAVE President, League of Women Voters of San Joaquin County
Downsizing will help cure city’s financial ills
Editor: Regarding the News-Sentinel article Friday, Oct. 19, “Lodi firefighters’ union claims homeowners’ insurance rates depend on Measure L vote.”
The concerns being expressed by the union are for fire prevention. Firefighters spend the majority of their time answering 911 emergency calls. No one would deny the fire department does a great job, but with a budget of $12 million a year and more then $1 million in overtime.
The city could mitigate these costs by outsourcing this service to a private ambulance service. There are other departments that could also be downsize without impacting police and fire.
To have any meaningful longterm effect, the city will have to downsize. The city cannot manage its finances with 390 employees on the city’s payroll where anyone can retire at age 55 with lucrative retirement packages. Lowering the number of employees would save millions in retirement benefits.
The State of California is experiencing some of the same retirement funding problems that Lodi is experiencing. The states’ problem could be corrected by downsizing, with 50 percent fewer employees the state would save and have the funds to repair the roads.
A yes vote on Prop 6 would repeal the gas tax.
Letters invited
The Lodi News-Sentinel welcomes opinions from its readers. Letters must be signed and include the writer’s address and phone number for internal verification purposes. All letters are subject to editing. Letters from local readers dealing with local issues are given priority. Letters from outside the local area are published at the editor’s discretion. Letters longer than 350 words will be cut to fit or returned to their writers. There is a holding period of 30 days between publication of letters by the same person unless no other letters are queued. Send letters to P.O. Box 1360, Lodi, CA 95241-1360; or email to letters@lodinews.com.