Protect agricultural lands, vote for Measure A

I am struggling to hear good reasons not to vote to extend the Measure A tax for parks, open space and agriculture.

From what I have been reading or hearing, the primary reason for not renewing the quarter-cent sales tax is that 10% goes to farmland easements given to ranchers so they can preserve their ranchland forever. Those acquisitions restrict the lands' use for agriculture into perpetuity.

It appears that the concern is that farmers and ranchers receiving these funds are agricultural oligarchs and these tax dollars just line their pockets.

I don't know about you, but I need to eat and I would prefer my source of sustenance come from a local source that is responsibly produced, rather than something that is shipped from across the country or overseas from a factory.

There is a reason why there are only about 20 families left in Marin County willing to continue feeding us. It is hard work. Those ranchers get up every morning as early as 4 a.m., whether it's raining or Christmas morning. I promise that they are not doing it because they are getting rich on tax dollars.

I worry that, without MALT easements, there will be significant pressure to overturn the zoning rules and these open lands could be filled with housing. Measure A protects what makes Marin great.

We all know about the many benefits to renewing this tax. Like my grandma used to say, “Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.”

— Joe Meylan, Corte Madera