October 17, 2018 - I had to think long and hard on speaking out on this measure due to my ties with public safety, but I felt this has been a colossal misrepresentation of what the citizens of Mariposa County actually need and what they are being sold with this measure M.

What measure M is not: This is NOT a funding route for revenue to help with public safety; it will not in any way help fire and medical response.

This is NOT a route for revenue for our roads and bridges. Our current local road and bridge problems is due to poor prior mismanagement at Mariposa Public Works. I personally know this department has refused state and federal road assistance. This measure is NOT in any way a route to improve disaster response. Its even titled “Mariposa County Disaster Response, Public Safety and Vital Service Measure”. I wrote the County’s Disaster Response Plan and know what measures would be required to be instituted. This is NOT in any way funding for what is being sold by County government. This measure is NOT in any way a commitment to grow our professional and volunteer firefighting capabilities. Rather, our County Board has been given real fiscally prudent options for advancing our firefighter capabilities BUT have refused to listen over the last two years. Many county firefighters have been vocal on this reckless path of fire response instituted by our County Board of Supervisor. Don’t be fooled by this measure. Remember this Mariposa County slogan - “if you can’t figure it out, tax your way out”

What measure M is: This is a way of local government to gain revenue that is needed to offset their deficit spending deployed over the last two years. A simple analysis of what the CAO has spent and the contracts he has pursued will show where the deficits are. This measure is a way for County government to continue to spend more than what they have. This measure is a way to discourage other revenue producing options. One County Supervisor has preached for years to diversify our revenue steam; that it is foolish to put most of the county funding on the back of TOT. Again, “if you can’t figure it out, tax your way out”

There is real honest fiscally prudent ways to go forward to solve the issues that are before us. This measure is NOT the way out of our issues. So, “If you can’t figure it out, tax your way out”.

Don Florence
Lushmeadows in Mariposa, CA.