From: Bill Hough
To: Council, City
Cc: Clerk, City
Subject: Public comment on agenda item 4 on March 2 council agenda Date: Monday, March 2, 2026 9:12:45 AM
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Council should OPPOSE the proposed transit sales tax increase. We don’t need another regressive transportation funding measure. Our taxes are already too high.
Vote NO.
Over the last several elections, voters in Santa Clara County have passed multiple tax and fee increases including gas taxes, the Caltrain Measure RR tax, two bridge toll increases, three VTA sales taxes, Santa Clara County’s Measure A 1/8 cent sales tax, the state prop 30 ¼ cent sales tax and the 2010 Measure B Vehicle Registration Fee of $10,and most recently a Santa Clara County stealth sales
tax." Additionally, we’re on the hook to pay back numerous state bond issues including high- speed rail, the Proposition 1 water bond and the infrastructure bonds of 2006.
All this nickel and diming contributes into making the Bay Area a horribly expensive place to live; especially for people of modest means, who must pay the greatest percentage of their income in these regressive taxes and fees. Each increase by itself does not amount to much, but the cumulative effect is to add to the unaffordability of the region.
Before increasing taxes YET AGAIN, waste needs to be removed from transportation projects. VTA needs to "value engineer the BART to San Jose project, going with a twin bore tunnel and eliminating the redundant BART extension between the San Jose and Santa Clara Caltrain stations. The BART segment from these stations would duplicate both the existing Caltrain line and VTA's 22 and 522 buses.
Why
don’t the wealthy high rollers at MTC suggest taxing rich tech companies and leave the little guy alone for a change?
Bill Hough