No on Regional Measure 3

Vote NO on RM3.  While transportation funding is important, excessive bridge tolls are not the way to do it.

The better way is through value capture via property or parcel taxes. New transit and highway infrastructure adds value to the land near it. The RM3 campaign's top funders are Silicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Sobrato Organization, a real estate company based in Santa Clara County.  Their property will become more valuable as a result of RM3 investments, but they won't have to pay for it.

RM3's burden would land on ordinary commuters. Many who drive across the bridge can't switch to mass transit, either because they need their car for work, or because their job is located somewhere with poor transit service. Working class service and industrial workers end up having to pay the bill. By 2025, RM3 will raise tolls to $9 a trip, adding up to over $2000 a year for someone crossing the bridge 5 times a week.

Even among commuters, RM3 is unfair. 15% of the benefits of RM3 will be in Santa Clara County, while Santa Clara County residents – located at the southern tip of the bay and able to get to most places without crossing a bridge - only pay 2% of bridge tolls. 

Source: MTC's Regional Measure 3 FAQ - https://mtc.ca.gov/sites/default/files/RM_3_FAQ_3-1-18.pdf

While the Bay Area does need more transportation infrastructure, RM3's regressive toll hike is the wrong way to do it. Please vote NO on RM3, and ask your elected officials to come back with better plans in November.

No on RM3 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/180169586103801/

Register to Vote at https://registertovote.ca.gov/

Remember to Vote by Mail or at the polls on June 5, 2018 

Value Capture - a fair way to fund transportation

While everyone benefits from a better transportation system, those who own property near the new train station benefit the most. 

Value capture seeks to use part of that windfall as a funding source for the transportation infrastructure.  One approach is a Special Assessment District, where those who own land near the new station pay additional taxes, which in turn pay off the bond that was issued to build the station. 

More info at
http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/resource-center/value-capture/
https://www.transitwiki.org/TransitWiki/index.php/Value-capture_finance

Fund Transportation Fairly! Use Parcel and Income Taxes, not Fee Hikes

When it comes to public infrastructure, it's not good enough that the projects to be funded are good. How fair the way it's funded also matters.

In 2016, Bay Area voters passed Measure RR and Measure C1, which together provided over $4 billion of funds for BART and AC Transit. These were parcel taxes paid by landowners, about $90 a year.

When California voted to build High Speed Rail, the funding came from state General Obligation bonds, which are paid for by state tax revenue, most of which comes from income taxes on the rich.

The BART to San Jose extension is funded by sales taxes. These aren't as progressive as income or property taxes, as low income people spend a greater percentage of their money on taxed goods, but at least sales taxes are directly related to how much one buys.

Regional Measure 3 is different. It is a flat fee on people who cross the bridge, regardless of their income. While $9 a day might not be much for the rich, for a minimum wage worker that's almost 10% of their annual income. That's why we should vote NO on RM3.