Home 2020 Election Local Business Leaders, Community Based Organizations and Labor Unions Support Measure X

Local Business Leaders, Community Based Organizations and Labor Unions Support Measure X

by ECT

Consensus is Growing that Measure X is what Contra Costa needs as local fires and COVID-19 strain public and community-provided services

Martinez, CA— In the last week, Yes on Measure X has picked up endorsements from the East Bay Leadership Council, First 5 Contra Costa and both the East Contra Costa Fire District and the International Association of Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO of Contra Costa County.

Please find the full list of current endorsements here:  https://www.healthyandsafecontracosta.com/endorsements.

Supported by local businesses, community organizations including safety net providers, and labor unions, consensus is growing that Measure X is the necessary sustainable revenue source to fund the public and community services that the county needs. “With this COVID-19 pandemic, revenues to the hospital and to our county system are ever more important because there’s an increased need for all of the services that we offered before and new services,” stated Dr. David Pichardo-Gomez, County Family Medicine Resident physician and member of the Physicians’ and Dentists’ Organization of Contra Costa.

Before the pandemic began this year, community and labor organizations across the county worked together to develop a County Needs Assessment highlighting the public- and community-provided services in greatest need of funding to better serve county residents and families. If passed in the November election, revenues from Measure X, a county-wide general 0.5% sales tax, could be used to plug current gaps and expand access to the essential services that Contra Costa County needs.

The timing of Measure X could not be more auspicious. Recent fires and cascading implications from the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the need for services like firefighting, health equity, early childhood programming, and other safety net services. These crises are crippling the ability of county residents of all ages to feel secure in meeting their most basic needs, and already underfunded service providers need resources more than ever.

“Child care is essential to our economic recovery, but early childhood programs have had to either close down completely or operate with fewer kids,” Ali Uscilka, Director of Healthy and Active Before 5 explained. “Measure X is the opportunity we’ve been waiting for to bring more resources to the vital programs that can help us recover from the current crisis and address the long-term challenges we’ve faced.”

Healthy and Safe Contra Costa, Yes on Measure X will generate an estimated $81 million annually to fund services most essential to Contra Costa County’s needs.

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6 comments

Robert C. Sep 25, 2020 - 8:11 am

While this press release fawns all over the alleged blessings of “Measure X,” it does not devote a single sentence to explaining what Measure X actually IS. My BS meter is flashing.

PattyOfurniture Sep 25, 2020 - 8:22 am

Hey ECT: stop being like the main stream media and start reporting the news, not propaganda. You lost credibility in my book with this article. Sure, I know you support ECCFPD and all that, but there was no actual NEWS in this article. What is this- “we have to pass the bill to fins out what’s in it?”. Sure I could go look up measure X, but this propaganda piece is not too cool…

ECT Sep 26, 2020 - 3:44 pm

See part where it says “Press Release”.

Teresa Sep 25, 2020 - 9:39 am

Measure X is a 0.5% sales tax. I believe it is to provide additional funding for county services such as the hospital, firefighters and child care services (eg “First Five), plus what else I’m not sure.

So for some of us, that will bring the sales tax up to 10%. I think that’s kind of high on top of the state income taxes we already pay. Californians already pay one of the highest state income taxes in the nation.

And the only thing that keeps our property taxes from exploding is Proposition 13, which state and local governments are constantly trying to circumvent! And now there’s a proposition on the ballot to change proposition 13 and raise property taxes for commercial and industrial properties. But when taxes go up for commercial and industrial property owners, trust me, the effect is going to trickle down to every day consumers. And the cost of all kinds of goods and services is going to go up a lot!!

So don’t just blindly vote “Yes” for every proposition on the ballot. If you don’t want to take the time to read your ballot to see what you’re voting for, do us all a favor and just vote “No” on every proposition.

Robert C. Sep 25, 2020 - 11:09 am

I totally agree with you on the ballot proposition process – which has been totally misused,overused and dishonestly used by special interests of all stripes. My default position is to vote DOWN every proposition unless I can be convinced that it really is in the public interest. Very few are. Don’t be fooled by deceptive titles and vague claims of “benefits.”

mimzee Sep 27, 2020 - 8:19 pm

Robert C, I tend to agree with you. We USED to have these services but somehow the money all got taken to some other area or pocket and they expect us to believe it will be different this time.
I know this regards emergency and human services needs but as an example: Our roads are bad, with garbage all over and not repaired for months on end. I really noticed this after driving highway 40 through the poor southern states. The roads are not only clean and well kept up, they are regularly mowed on either side! How could they afford this and California can’t. we all know the answer to that question, right?
I am with you on this, vote NO!

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