Long time no post.
I had no idea that the Oakland School Board was back up to its old tricks. I picked up a copy of the East Bay Express and was surprised to see that the board has put another $120/parcel tax on the ballot.
A quick web search indicated that there wasn't even an argument submitted against the tax. I wonder how many Oakland residents realize that this is a duplicate of another $120/parcel tax the district is already levying which passed in November, 2014. And that's in addition to a longstanding $195/parcel tax that's already on people's bills.
I actually support these taxes because they're regressive and they promote gentrification. But, I suspect most Oaklanders should not support them. That's why I returned to my long-dormant blog to at least say something about it.
If Measure G1 passes, the school district will be levying $435 per year per parcel on homeowners, many of whom can't afford it or have fled the still-floundering school district.
Sure, the duplicate $120/parcel taxes have low-income protections to make sure the truly poor don't pay them. But, the vast majority of Oaklanders don't qualify (and it sort of has to be that way, otherwise they wouldn't raise any money).
I'm not up on rent control, but my vague recollection is commercial properties can pass this tax along to renters. I guess $10/month of additional rent isn't that much, but it does add up.
Anyway, I support the tax because, like most liberal policies, it pushes out the poor and encourages gentrification. But, most Oaklanders should probably not support it.
