Voice of the People: There Has Been a Lot of Talk Lately

There has been a lot of talk lately about Measure C and how that tax will impact individuals, families and small businesses in our community. I live in Grand Terrace and raised my family here. I have friends raising families here as well as friends who own businesses here. Listening to them vent their frustrations has led me to write this letter. The main consensus among them is that the most necessary ingredient in making important decisions is receiving accurate and reliable information. This kind of honest information has value to families and businesses. Since Measure C first became an issue in our city I have witnessed the dissemination of opinion as information and the manipulation of emotions by the leaders on both sides. Those leaders, both pro and con, have really failed in the information department. One side is spreading false information about city disincorporation should the measure fail. It turns out the real danger of disincorporation comes from him and his pledge to force disincorporation from the State level. The other side is saying the whole problem could be solved if we would become a contract city not realizing, or dishonestly hiding, that Grand Terrace is already a contract city with over half the budget allocated for outside services. It appears that petty bickering has replaced intelligent public discourse Since the information being disseminated is not reliable, we as citizens must do our own reading and studying on Measure C to really figure out what is best for us as individuals, as families, and as business owners. Study the budget numbers for your household, your business and your city. Figure out what kind of city you want to live in and at what cost. One last thing to keep in mind, A TAX ONCE ESTABLISHED IS RARELY REPEALED. Even though Measure C will sunset is six years no budget adjustments have been proposed to operate without that 5% tax. In fact, in six years’ time, they most likely will be back asking for more.