Poll: Most don’t want ‘mosquito’ tax

More than half (77 percent) of those responding to an online Argus-Courier poll said they don’t agree with property taxes being raised to increase funding for the Marin-Sonoma and Vector Control District. Nineteen percent felt that property taxes should be raised to help the district, while 3.4 percent were not sure. Here are some of the comments: “Taxes are already hurting many people, and renters wonder why every rental is so high. Enough, already, most of us cannot afford these increases! We are being taxed to death! Raise the sales tax, that way it’s distributed evenly!” -- “Already pay thousands in property tax.” -- “No, but not for the reason stated in the survey. Just don’t want to pay any more taxes.” -- “Please, quit going to home owners to fund the cities and counties. I am already paying $4,900 a year to live in the house I have lived in most of my life. If we need to fund county and city projects, all citizens should take part paying their fair share.” -- “Enough already with the raising of taxes. I’m on a fixed income and I’m going broke!” -- “We already have the highest taxes in the U.S.” -- “Check the salaries first, then decide.” -- “We pay enough to live here.” -- “People seem to forget that our regular property taxes pay for this. I don’t care if it’s $1 or $100, enough is enough.” -- “The district should look into cutting costs by restructuring. The three top salaries are obscene. Not to mention the $$$$ in benefits. Why are so many board of trustees needed? There appears to be one trustee for each city in Sonoma and Marin Counties. Why? Plus it gives a ‘forever’ tax increase with set annual increases. This shows how irresponsible local government can be. I have already sent in my ballot with a big NO.” -- “No new taxes. PERIOD!” -- “Everything they said they can provide me with to combat mosquitoes and vectors around my home I can do for myself, and most of it I already have done. So what the hell do I need them for?” -- “I don’t agree that the money is ‘going to staff pension’ as reflected in the question choices. I think the district is a solution in search of a problem. We may have mosquitoes in our geographic region, but they’re certainly not the issue that they are in places like the Northeast and the Southeast. We don’t go outside in summer and get eaten alive unless we’re wearing Off.” -- “Why can’t public officials use money wisely? WASTE, WASTE, WASTE!” -- “There is no guarantee that the funds will be spent accordingly.” -- “Management needs to find a solution to the pension issue and not rely on the taxpayer for a bailout.” -- “The worst part is the unlimited future increases allowed to the unelected board without any future vote of the public.” -- “ONLY if it goes to eradicating mosquitos and NOT to pensions!” -- “Hire it out to a private company tired of government agencies they can not run themselves. Management people are not doing their jobs. All they want is money. We should take the money away from them for not doing there job. Fire all of them NOW.”|

More than half (76 percent) of those responding to an online Argus-Courier poll said they don’t agree with property taxes being raised to increase funding for the Marin-Sonoma and Vector Control District. Twenty percent felt that property taxes should be raised to help the district, while 3.1 percent were not sure.

Here are some of the comments:

“Taxes are already hurting many people, and renters wonder why every rental is so high. Enough, already, most of us cannot afford these increases! We are being taxed to death! Raise the sales tax, that way it’s distributed evenly!”

--

“I already pay thousands in property tax.”

--

“People seem to forget that our regular property taxes pay for this. I don’t care if it’s $1 or $100, enough is enough.”

--

“No new taxes. PERIOD!”

--

“Enough already with the raising of taxes. I’m on a fixed income and I’m going broke!”

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