Three critical measures to pass Tuesday

It’s a whale of a ballot for Santa Clara County. Not “whale” in a good way, but in the sense of a beast so huge you might not know where to start getting it under control.

Because of this, there’s a danger that the choices most affecting our daily lives — the local races and measures at the bottom of the state ballot — could get short shrift. Don’t let it happen. For example:

Measure B

BART will start running to Berryessa next year, early and under budget — but now it has to go to Alum Rock, downtown San Jose and Santa Clara, where it can connect with the airport. Measure B will provide the local match.

But unlike the past two transportation measures, this one isn’t primarily about BART. Its spending is capped at 25 percent of the $6.3 billion in revenue the half cent sales tax will bring in over 30 years. Other transit improvements include greater speed and safety for Caltrain, which, unlike light rail, is an extremely popular commuter system.

But much of the revenue is for roads: Fixing the bottlenecks on the county expressways and — this is really important — providing every city with an annual revenue stream to repair and upgrade streets. It will make a huge difference in San Jose, where streets are crumbling since the recession.

Measure F

This negotiated settle-

ment of San Jose’s yearslong legal battles over pension reform offers budget savings similar to the original reforms and avoids the cost of futile litigation. Passage is crucial to rebuilding the police department, which is understaffed by several hundred officers because the reforms were untenable to retain or recruit police.

Don’t take our word for it. Former Mayor Chuck Reed, who wrote the original reforms, has written a flawless argument for passing Measure F. Check

it out at https://wp.me/ p7ShJJ-haed. Measure A

Santa Clara County’s $900 million housing bond is ambitious. It will fund some workforce housing but mostly aims to end homelessness — or at least ease the crisis. The formula for this is proven; provide the services people need, and they stay in homes, which costs taxpayers far less per capita. This bond will be leveraged by nonprofit builders to create supportive housing, and it has stellar oversight provisions.

The need for these three measures intertwines. Housing costs that leave families homeless also force many to commute long distances, compounding traffic problems. In San Jose, housing the homeless will make neighborhoods safer, freeing police and other workers for services people expect.

Measures A, B and F can lift the quality of life in the valley. Say yes.