I just sent off a letter to Kevin, something like this:
I urge you to make sure the ballots do NOT go out. It was very clear to me from that meeting that if this goes to vote, the businesses have the majority vote and this MAD – Maintenance Assessment District will go through. (Irony that it’s MAD – b/c it sure did make everyone there mad and it was named appropriately)
I do not believe the homeowners should pay for the sins of the businesses while the businesses reap the benefits and rewards. If my next-door neighbor decides to trash the front of his house, it should not be my burden or responsibility to clean up his yard or to pay to clean up his yard. The businesses are doing very well. Discover PB has made PB a tourist attraction and the businesses are generating great income from it. As a result, they should be responsible for what they’re bringing to the community.
The homeowners and families and seniors that live in the community suffer the consequences and do not benefit from this one bit. In fact, from the meeting, it seems it is being suggested the homeowners be penalized for the businesses by paying this special tax.
I will also add that the people of San Diego voted against privatization of police at the last election and MAD is proposing using off-duty police.
If Discover PB and the City of San Diego want to make La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach and Ocean Beach and tourist attraction, which it is, and promote it to further attract tourist and generate revenue, perhaps the City would be inclined to shuffle some tourist money from hotel tax towards the beach.
I think money towards the zoo and Balboa Park is great, but many come to the beach as well. Free attraction at our expense. Perhaps we can consider raising the hotel tax. Las Vegas – the state of Nevada – has no income tax. They get their revenue entirely by their exorbidant hotel tax. Ours is a very low fraction compared to theirs. The high hotel tax has not kept people from going to Las Vegas. Perhaps raising our hotel tax can generate tax revenue sufficient to maintain tourist attractions, including our beaches.
Just trying to come up w/an alternate solution other than squeezing money out of homeowners. There is a small percentage of homeowners in PB who are paying low property tax due to Proposition 13. Over the past 8 years, many homes have been bought and sold and property values have tripled. Places on the boardwalk are upwards of 1 to 6 million. As a result, property taxes have tripled. I realize the City only gets a small percentage, but where does all this money go?
We know the City is receiving a percentage of money from our property taxes, sales taxes, licenses, etc. We pay for these services already and many of our resources are tied up by problems generated by businesses. We are not inclined to give more money to a problem. If the City has mismanagement of funds problems, giving them more money to mismanage isn’t the answer either.
How does that saying go? With great power comes great responsibility. The businesses need to step up to the plate. If they bring problems to the community and make a profit from it, we should not be paid to suffer from it.
