The Board of Supervisors recently passed a resolution in support of AB1604. Why does the board believe a higher tax should be imposed on California oil?
Currently, there is no tax on oil produced in California. AB1604 proposes to impose a 10 percent tax charge on the gross value of each barrel of oil produced in California. The proceeds of that tax will go to the general fund. That is revenue that can be used in California for education, public safety, and health programs—just to name a few. In a time when our country faces its most challenging economic times since the Great Depression, and states are billions [of dollars] in debt—leaving counties with less revenue each year for vital community services, some of which are state mandated—we have no choice but to look at ways to continue to provide those services. We as counties cannot continue to absorb all the costs. The County of Santa Cruz has for the last two years made drastic cuts in all areas of government in efforts to survive, including layoffs and cuts to community services. As a state we have witnessed the cuts to education and healthcare and we have seen what the mortgage crisis has done to our property tax revenue. The unemployment rate in California continues to grow; my district (4th District) has one of the highest unemployment rates in the State of California. Should oil companies continue to make billions in profits while we witness our economy shrink by the day? Some oil investors have seen the state’s economic downturn and budget shortfalls as an opportunity to take advantage of a desperate situation and push for more drilling off our coast, it is time for oil companies to pay their fair share so that all Californians can benefit from this finite natural resource.
Assemblymember Pedro Nava’s bill AB1604 offers a solution to help generate some of the badly needed revenue.
The Deputy Sheriff’s Association is proposing to host the Santa Cruz Deputy Sheriff’s Rodeo 2010 from Oct. 1 – Oct. 3, 2010. Will a rodeo have a big draw here? What are the pros and cons of having such an event?
Sgt. Michael MacDonald is the new deputy assigned to the Watsonville Sheriff’s Substation located at Mesa Village Park. Aside from law enforcement and community protection tasks that are his day-to-day priorities, providing activities for the community to enjoy is an additional task that every sergeant assigned to that substation has been successful at doing. This time around we have a proposed event that will be enjoyed by the entire county, including neighboring counties. This is another effort at not only providing an event that will be enjoyed by young and old alike, but it will generate much- needed revenue that will be put right back into our community. It is also an opportunity for everyone to learn of the rodeo’s history. A rodeo is a view into the past. It is rich in this nation’s heritage and is one of the oldest sporting events in this country. Rodeos are a product of the rugged plains of the American West and most likely originated during the great cattle drives of the 1800s. It is now considered one of the oldest sports in our nation’s history. The events were created and designed to show the skill level of the ranchers, exhibiting the ability to rope, ride and wrestle the animals they depended on for survival.
I support the event because having a rodeo in our community will offer a great show of horses, skills and competition, while teaching us a bit of its history and, equally important, it will contribute to our local economy. The venue for the event [the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds] is perfect, and has the needed space to accommodate such an event. I will be approaching my fellow board members on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors and recommending the passage of a resolution in support of the Santa Cruz Deputy Sheriff’s Rodeo 2010.
