This week’s letters include comments from readers on crime in Citrus Heights, local candidates, Measure B, taxes and roads. Submit your own letter to the editor about a current local issue by clicking here.
Measure B is still needed, despite Measure A’s help
(RE: Guest Opinion: Here’s what they’re not telling you about Measure B) I would like to correct the misinformation that Ms. Desrosiers included in her opinion piece about Measure B. The facts are clear: there is a specific transportation expenditure plan for Measure A that has delivered important improvements in Citrus Heights and throughout the County. Some local improvements include widening and improving Sunrise Boulevard, Greenback Lane and Auburn Boulevard and implementing pedestrian and bicycle safety projects. In order to compete for state and federal matching transportation funds counties need to have a local funding source. Citrus Heights has secured over $41 million in grant funding by leveraging Measure A funds since the City’s incorporation. Despite the fact that 99.25% of Measure A revenue has been spent on transportation improvements, there is a backlog of more than $1 billion in Sacramento County for system maintenance and rehabilitation projects. To address this growing need, transportation planners and engineers throughout the County expertly identified local priorities and crafted a plan to ensure that residents benefit as soon as possible. That’s why Measure B prioritizes “fix it first projects” and has strict requirements to ensure that money is spent on filling potholes and fixing existing infrastructure first. The facts are at: www.citrusheights.net/878/Measure-B, www.sacta.org and www.sacramentogo.com
-Mike Penrose, West Sacramento
Director, Sacramento County Department of Transportation
Measure B isn’t the right answer
(RE: Guest Opinion: Citrus Heights needs Measure B to plan for the future) Roads are an incredibly valuable resource, and it’s not a question that they take a lot of money to build and repair, that’s a fact. The question is how much money should they need, and where should it come from. Measure B proposes doubling the existing Measure A sales tax increase. I don’t believe this is responsible because of both the time frame, the amount of money, and the source of the funding. 30 years and an estimated $3.6 billion isn’t what I would call a “stop gap” to repair existing infrastructure, especially when it comes out of sales tax which burdens the local economy.
Our transportation system may be in varying levels of need for repair and expansion, but I’m not convinced Measure B is the right answer to those problems. Especially considering increasing taxes is usually a one way activity and isn’t easily undone. Once taxes rise, they rarely decrease.
Measure A is already currently focused heavily on repair, so raising taxes for three decades to solve a present problem is speculation on the future. Let’s skip Measure B overkill, and work on a solution that doesn’t cause financial potholes just to fix real ones.
-Gabe Lewis, Citrus Heights
Crime has gotten worse in Citrus Heights
(RE: Fact Check: candidate claims Citrus Heights among top ‘least safe’ cities; but is it?) What Bret Daniels states is true about crime in Citrus Heights. It has increased, greatly. I have lived here for 45 years and 100 percent state that not only has it become worse, crime, but the type of crimes have become worse. CHPD also decides what crimes to follow up on, burglaries, harassment from neighbors, regardless of the type of harassment, is ignored. I don’t know what crimes they go after but murders are one of them which we didn’t ever have 45 years ago and not until we became a city 20 years ago. Crime has greatly increased and Bret Daniels would know since we were covered by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department back in 1995, 21 years ago. And police departments would all know too.
-Dina Padilla, Citrus Heights
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