RES 10398 - Laserfiche WebLink

RESOLUTION NO. 10 -398 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PLEASANTON IN SUPPORT OF PROPOSITION 22 THE LOCAL TAXPAYER, PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRANSPORTATION PROTECTION ACT OF 2010 WHEREAS, California voters have repeatedly and overwhelmingly passed separate ballot measures to stop State raids of local government funds, and to dedicate the taxes on gasoline to fund local and state transportation improvement projects; and WHEREAS, these local government funds are critical to provide the police and fire, emergency response, parks, libraries, and other vital local services that residents rely upon every day, and gas tax funds are vital to maintain and improve local streets and roads, to make road safety improvements, relieve traffic congestion, and provide mass transit; and WHEREAS, despite the fact that voters have repeatedly passed measures to prevent the State from taking these revenues dedicated to funding local government services and transportation improvement projects, the State Legislature has seized and borrowed billions of dollars in local government and transportation funds in the past few years; and WHEREAS, this year's borrowing and raids of local government, redevelopment and transit funds, as well as previous, ongoing raids of local government and transportation funds have lead to severe consequences, such as layoffs of police, fire and paramedic first responders, fire station closures, stalled economic development, healthcare cutbacks, delays in road safety improvements, public transit fare increases and cutbacks in public transit services; and WHEREAS, State politicians in Sacramento have continued to ignore the will of the voters, and current law provides no penalties when state politicians take or borrow these locally- dedicated funds; and WHEREAS, a coalition of local government, transportation and transit advocates recently filed a constitutional amendment with the California Attorney General, called the Local Taxpayer, Public Safety, and Transportation Protection Act of 2010, for potential placement on California's November 2010 statewide ballot; and WHEREAS, approval of this ballot initiative would close loopholes and change the constitution to further prevent State politicians in Sacramento from seizing, diverting, shifting, borrowing, transferring, suspending or otherwise taking or interfering with tax revenues dedicated to funding local government services, including redevelopment, or dedicated to transportation improvement projects and mass transit. 1