Reading the diatribe by Keith Gurnee, et al opposing Measure G (“Measure G is just more broken promises,” Oct. 16), I’m reminded of what Abraham Lincoln said about the pro-slavery arguments of Stephen Douglas in 1858: As thin as a soup made by boiling the shadow of a pigeon that had starved to death.
They claim that Measure G is a “new” tax, rather than merely a renewal of Measure Y, the original 1⁄2-cent sales tax that expires in March. Who cares? That’s a distinction without a difference. What’s important is that passing Measure G will maintain important city services and investments.
They’re screaming “bait-and-switch”—where’s their evidence? Read the independent audits of Measure Y spending at slocity.org. Each item in Measure Y has received significant funding: street paving, traffic congestion relief, public safety, flood protection, senior citizen services/facilities, neighborhood code enforcement, and open space preservation.
They argue that the city doesn’t need Measure Y revenues to stay healthy—even stating that our General Fund revenues “never dipped below those of 2006, not counting revenues from Y.” The fact is that all General Fund revenues fell by 10 percent from 2008 to 2010. I should know: I was on the council when we cut the budget during those difficult years.
The ghost of Lincoln’s starved pigeon is stalking us in the form of the “No on G” campaign.
Don’t swallow their thin soup. Vote “yes” on Measure G.
— John B. Ashbaugh – SLO City Council
— John B. Ashbaugh – SLO City Council candidate
— John B. Ashbaugh – SLO City Council
— John B. Ashbaugh – Candidate for SLO City Council
This article appears in Oct 23-30, 2014.