Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for July 7, 2024

Novato voters must pass plan to raise sales tax now

I am responding to Sarah Nagle’s recently published Marin Voice commentary (“Novato sales tax increase plan lacks creativity, foresight,” June 24). I think she makes several irrelevant arguments against Novato’s proposed half-percent sales-tax increase that could be on the November ballot.

Nagle implies that a lower sales tax attracts more shoppers, pointing out that in the New York area shoppers are drawn to New Jersey because of a lower rate on clothing. I find it hard to believe that shopping patterns of Marin residents heading to Novato’s convenient Vintage Oaks Shopping Center would change because of a slightly higher tax rate. In fact, I suspect the vast majority would be unaware of it.

She suggests the city should be more friendly to retail businesses. While that is no doubt a good idea, its impact would only be felt over the longer term. It does nothing to address Novato’s urgent need for new revenue.

Novato’s fiscal challenges were well documented in a 2023 Marin County Civil Grand Jury report, which recommended Novato work on a plan to increase its sales tax. To their credit, that’s exactly what the city’s Fiscal Advisory Committee and City Council have been doing over the last year.

The report noted that each quarter percent of sales tax increase would result in over $3 million of increased revenue. That’s over 6% of the city’s general fund revenue during the last fiscal year.

Voters in Novato need to focus on the main problem: The city is leaving millions of potential sales tax dollars on the table due to its regionally low sales tax rate of 8.5%. By contrast, all other larger cities in the county assess 9% or 9.25%. This imbalance is harmful to the quality of our city services, and it needs to be corrected in November.

— John Wright, Novato

Some bikers on MMWD land don’t follow the rules

I was taken by one of the photos presented along with the recently published article about more access for mountain bikes on Marin Municipal Water District land (“MMWD details planning for expanded bike access,” June 26). It showed a sign on a dirt road near Lake Lagunitas stating that cyclists must slow to 5 mph when passing others. It was published just above a quote from Marin County Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Tarrell Kullaway promising “to make sure that our riders are good stewards.”

I consider MCBC to be nothing more than a special-interest group representing a small minority of users of MMWD lands. As a frequent hiker on MMWD land, I can say the rule is essentially only followed by bikers going uphill. Many are not good stewards. There’s no reason to believe the situation will change for the better as they get more access.

I would like to know how often bikers observe the speed limit. The results should be reported. As a senior, I am concerned that these two-wheeled speed demons put my life at risk.

— Edward Clapp, Corte Madera

Trump supporter wrong on impact of Jim Crow laws

Reggie Jackson’s memories of playing minor league baseball in Alabama in 1967, not long after Jim Crow laws enforcing segregation were banned, caught my attention (“Rickwood game: Reggie Jackson, on live TV, recalls his experiences with racism in Alabama,” June 21).

Jackson gave an interview on the nationally televised pregame show. He said that there were times when he was called the n-word and turned away from restaurants, hotels and a team party at a country club.

In contrast, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Florida) recently spoke at a Black voter outreach event for former President Donald Trump. He suggested that Black families were more unified and better off during the Jim Crow era. He implied that things had gotten worse for Black people after they embraced Democrats following the enactment of Great Society programs in the 1960s.

These contrasting stories show that some Trump supporters are divorced from reality. If reelected in November, his plan calls for rounding up and deporting 11 million undocumented residents. One previous attempt at this, Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070, aka the “show me your papers law” (struck down by the Supreme Court in 2012), appeared to use the color of a person’s skin as criteria for questioning.

Hearing Trump’s campaign surrogates speak about how great Jim Crow was for Black families and contrasting that with Jackson’s real experiences just after Jim Crow was abolished should clarify the stakes in this race for many people.

— Greg Knell, San Rafael