Saying Measure A is `for parks' avoids whole truth

It is disappointing to read the recently published editorial endorsing support for Measure A in the June 7 election (“Extend Measure A tax for parks, open space and agriculture,” May 1).

In a community that has already protected more than 54,000 acres for agriculture, it was misleading to imply that a no vote would be a vote against supporting local agriculture. That is sheer nonsense. Marin County taxpayers have already shelled out millions for ranchers to keep their lands private.

Some other counties require ranch lands with easements to make public access with hiking trails. From my perspective, Measure A easements are private business subsidies with no community benefit. The fact that $1.4 million annually is allocated to line the pockets of wealthy landowners is an outrageous mismanagement of public funds.

The county continues to fraudulently advertise a “parks” measure that obfuscates the truth about public tax dollars. We voted for Measure A in 2012 believing that our tax dollars were going to public parks — like the campaign signs stated. But, in the end, more than $10 million of taxpayer money went to just a handful of private Marin ranchers.

The Marin Agricultural Land Trust supports a measure that lines its own private pockets. Those millions of tax dollars could go toward education, public housing and health care — all actual public benefits. Lining the pockets of a few landowners is of no public benefit and is clearly hidden behind those attractive “public parks” signs.

I encourage everyone to vote no to Measure A as it is currently written and demand that Marin County officials rewrite an authentic public parks measure for the November ballot. Every dollar must go to benefit the public, not wealthy ranch families. Stop the hidden subsidies to a few dozen private businessmen. Stop the less-than-truthful declarations in those “public parks” signs selling us a dishonest proposal.

— Margo Wixsom, Inverness