Measure A supports unnecessary spending

When supporters say that the more than $100 million spent by the original Measure A tax that passed in 2012 was for critical or essential projects, I disagree.

In particular, the money spent on trails for mountain biking in our once-bucolic open space preserves should have been stopped. Mountain bikers already had access to many Marin trails via dirt fire protection roads. Measure A turned our open space preserves into bike parks.

I wonder how much Measure A money really went to the Marin Agricultural Land Trust. I have doubts about the reported totals. The original Measure A was an unnecessary boondoggle, taken from the neediest of us and redistributed to the least needy. The renewal of this sales tax is unnecessary, superfluous and a waste of public resources. There are far more critical needs, such as affordable housing, mental health care and homelessness resource development.

I urge readers to avoid being fooled again. Measure A is a shameful, endlessly hyper-marketed “green” money grab. All should vote no. Doing so is a vote for frugal prioritization of our public spending at all levels.

Regular property-tax supported budgeting, including the recent $61 million annual county budget increase, more than meets the needs of our wonderful and overly managed county parks, preserves and overly protected “cow lands.”

— Randall Knox, San Rafael