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LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Smart Voter
Fresno County, CA November 7, 2006 Election
Measure C
Transportation Tax
County of Fresno
2/3 Approval Required

Pass: 121655 / 77.73% Yes votes ...... 34847 / 22.27% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures
Results as of Dec 4 2:00pm, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (680/680)
47.0% Voter Turnout (156502/333117)
Information shown below: Arguments |

To repair potholes, improve/construct local streets/highways; Reduce air pollution through new clean fuel school buses, including child safety seatbelts; Support regional economy; Reduce emergency response times; Improve highways 99, 41, 168, 180; Reduce congestion; Improve public safety; Improve transit, senior/disabled services, transportation choices; match state/federal funds; Provide citizen oversight/annual audits, shall Fresno County Transportation Authority continue, but not increase, existing half-cent sales tax for 20 years, per locally adopted Expenditure Plan?

   News and Analysis

The Fresno Bee

General Links

Current Measure C Information (1987-2007)

Extension Information on Measure C
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Arguments For Measure C Arguments Against Measure C
Renewing Measure C will generate 1.7 billion dollars plus millions in matching funds for safer roads and traffic relief throughout Fresno County--without new taxes. This is not an increase in the Fresno County sales tax. It extends the current voterapproved sales tax that has generated over 1,250 miles of improvements to local streets and highways since 1986. Millions of dollars in state/federal matching funds have been leveraged to complete voter-approved projects as promised. Our local population is expected to increase by over forty percent by 2026. Without Measure C, traffic will become more congested, the local economy will suffer, and our roads could become unsafe and dangerous. Measure C will:
  • ensure that all funds stay in Fresno County and cannot be taken by the State
  • improve highways 99, 41, 168, 180
  • create a Citizens Oversight Committee and audit expenditures to ensure funds are spent as promised
  • improve public safety and emergency response times, public transportation, transit services for seniors and the disabled, and air quality with new clean burning fuel school buses
  • support a vibrant regional economy by generating over $1.7 billion for Fresno County transportation projects
  • improve over 100 miles of roads and highways including the 20 mile extension of Highway 180 east and west, upgrade 15 freeway interchanges, repair an additional 50 miles of local highways
  • add bike lanes and community trails countywide
  • repair potholes, synchronize traffic signals and improve local streets and rural roads for safer and more efficient traffic flow
  • improve safety for school age children by adding seat belts to school buses and providing local transportation funding for projects such as improving school routes and crossings.
  • qualify Fresno County for billions in matching funds that will otherwise be lost to other counties. Please join us in supporting Measure C for transportation improvements countywide without raising taxes.

s/ Randy R. Bruegman Fire Chief/Fresno Resident
s/ Tracy Pepper League of Women Voters Fresno President
s/ Bill Jones Former Assemblyman and Secretary of State
s/ Juan Arambula Assemblymember, 31st Assembly District California Legislature Nathan Magsig Mayor, Resident of Clovis

Rebuttal to Arguments For
Measure C is a bad proposal that doesn't address important transportation issues.
  • By ignoring east/west streets to Highway 99, Measure C will increase traffic congestion causing more air pollution and reduced safety
  • Measure C spends 30% of funds on alternative transportation that studies show is used by no more than 2% of the population. They want to force you onto public busses by congesting our streets. Are you going to ride the bus?
  • The original Measure C plan was developed by transportation experts. This extension was developed by a tightly selected group of special interests + environmentalists, political groups, unions and developers
  • Measure C is incomplete. The phrase "details...will be further defined later" is used repeatedly and over 20 new designated studies are funded. This is a tax that studies the problem, not fixes the problem.
  • This Measure C extension limits our ability to compete for matching funds on critical projects such as Highway 99
  • The claim of dire consequences if Measure C fails simply isn't true. Just like schools bonds, if this plan fails you'll be asked to vote on another plan soon. A no vote simply says you want a plan that does more for congestion relief. The local population is expected to increase by over 40 percent by 2026, further congesting our streets. This Measure C does not provide real solutions to Fresno County's transportation problems. Vote No on Measure C + Fresno County can do better.

s/ James Ware President, Clovis Chamber of Commerce
s/ Don Watnick Chairman, Government Affairs
s/ Steven Fenster Chairman, Public Policy
s/ Cecil F. Perry Government Affairs
s/ Chris Mathys President, Valley Taxpayers Coalition, Inc. 		Don't be fooled. This is NOT the Measure C that built Fresno's Freeways. It doesn't fix east-west congestion in Fresno/Clovis. Highway 99 gets no new lanes through Fresno. There are no repairs to the Highway 41/Herndon parking lot. Instead, this Measure C funds farm worker vans, free taxi rides and downtown Fresno people-movers. It's political boondoggles amok. All that's missing is the Disneyland submarine ride. This is NOT the Measure C that returned tax dollars to taxpayers. Old Measure C spent 70% of its freeway monies in the urban region. Where 70% of our community lives. Where 70% of the sales taxes are colleted. It returned taxes to the taxpayers. This Measure C returns just 50% of freeway monies to the urban community. Taxpayers haven't moved out of the cities. Cities still suffer the most congestion. Why abandon the old formula? The California Public Policy Institute reports that 64% of Valley residents believe our region's problems are caused because government spends on the wrong things. With this Measure C our region's transportation monies will be spent on the wrong things. This is NOT the Measure C that kept promises to Voters. There's a map showing new projects to be bought with your sales tax dollars. But read the fine print. Only half the map's road improvements will be built. And most will be built with $500 Million of state and federal gas taxes our local governments receive without Measure C. Under old Measure C, the politicians asked for higher taxes. Now they claim they need temporary taxes another 20 years. Besides, you weren't spending that money to begin with. So, they say Measure C isn't a tax increase. But that's a half truth. A no vote means lower sales taxes. A yes vote means higher sales taxes.
s/ Chris Mathys President Valley Taxpayers Coalition

Rebuttal to Arguments Against
Mr. Mathys falsely declares that Measure C will fund the "wrong things". Do these projects sound like the "wrong things" to you: Repairing potholes and local highways, protecting children by installing seat belts, improving air quality by replacing old school buses with clean fuel school buses, improving public safety, or improving transit for seniors and disabled persons? Measure C will support a vibrant regional economy and qualify Fresno County for our fair share of state and local matching funds. Mathys' argument is full of inaccuracies and scare tactics intended to mislead voters. We're supporting Measure C because of the facts: Measure C DOES improve east-west congestion in Fresno/Clovis with regional funds that will add lanes to both Herndon and Shaw Avenues, intersection improvements and synchronized traffic signals. More than 2/3 of Measure C funds WILL be spent where most of the community lives and where most taxes are collected. This is significantly more than the inaccurate figure claimed by Mathys. Measure C is NOT a tax increase and passage will NOT mean higher sales taxes than we currently pay. It's an extension of the voter-approved Measure C that has been responsible for major improvements to roads and highways across Fresno County. An INDEPENDENT Citizens Oversight Committee and expenditure audits will ensure that Measure C funds are spent efficiently and only on voter-approved projects. Please join an unprecedented Fresno County coalition of Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Business, Labor, Agriculture, Environmentalists, Public Safety and the League of Women Voters in supporting Measure C.
s/ Al Smith President, Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce
s/ Richard Johanson Chair Emeritus Fresno Business Council, Clovis Resident
s/ Lorraine Salazar Owner, Sal's Mexican Restaurants
s/ Jerry Dyer Police Chief, City of Fresno
s/ Bill Jones Former Assemblyman and Secretary of State of California

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Created: January 4, 2007 09:32 PST
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