Friends of Parks -- Measure W-1

Measure W
Information Center

We love our Regional Parks BUT

we're voting No! on Measure W

Here are 10 reasons why:

The tax simply is unfair. Business property and developers' land banks don't pay a penny.
The tax has no sunset clause. It will go on forever, leaving no chance to vote on it in the future.
It requires the Park District to create its own expensive and redundant bureaucracy for the direct collection of taxes as well as for tax enforcement procedures, including the suing of taxpayers for non-payment.
The tax dollars raised may be used for any purpose. Nothing in the measure requires or legally restricts their use.
Currently the Park District sends top managers and the elected directors on expensive junkets around the country and the world, yet proposes charging school kids fees to learn from District naturalists.

The Districts's scheme for firebreaks has included the destruction of native vegetation and its replacement with more flammable, non-native plants that actually increase your risk of fire.
The District's Master Plan promotes more recreational facilities and therefore spends less on preserving natural resources, including wildlife.
The District offered our public parkland to a private developer so he could mitigate the destruction of endangered species-habitat for his private project.
Management has created low employee morale with harsh sanctions and unfair terminations against employees, resulting in needless lawsuits and the payment of huge settlements to employees who fight back.
And, sadly, the Park District operates with contempt for the public process whenever it conflicts with its own agenda, no matter what the human or environmental consequences.

Join the following growing list of organizations and leaders to give the Park District a much needed wakeup call that we demand better management and stewardship of our resources before we vote more taxes.

Mary Lee Jefferds, Retired Director
East Bay Regional Park District

Mark Shaw, President
East Bay League of Conservation Voters

J.H. Engbeck, Jr., Chair
Friends of Claremont Canyon

Lucrecia Edwards, Chair
Contra Costa Shoreline Parks

Harlan Kessel, Retired Director
East Bay Regional Park District

Helen Klebanoff, President
Regional Parks Association

William B. Patterson
Co-Founder and Vice President
Citizens for Oakland's Open Space

Alan La Pointe, Chair
Friends of Wildcat Canyon

Paul Merrick
Dunsmuir Ridge Alliance

Friends of Parks, 7505 Terrace Drive, El Cerrito, CA 94530
Contra Costa County Co-Chair; Norman La Force • Alameda County Co-Chair; Paul Merrick


		Measure W Information Center We love our Regional Parks BUT we're voting No! on Measure W Here are 10 reasons why:
The tax simply is unfair. Business property and developers' land banks don't pay a penny. The tax has no sunset clause. It will go on forever, leaving no chance to vote on it in the future. It requires the Park District to create its own expensive and redundant bureaucracy for the direct collection of taxes as well as for tax enforcement procedures, including the suing of taxpayers for non-payment. The tax dollars raised may be used for any purpose. Nothing in the measure requires or legally restricts their use. Currently the Park District sends top managers and the elected directors on expensive junkets around the country and the world, yet proposes charging school kids fees to learn from District naturalists.					The Districts's scheme for firebreaks has included the destruction of native vegetation and its replacement with more flammable, non-native plants that actually increase your risk of fire. The District's Master Plan promotes more recreational facilities and therefore spends less on preserving natural resources, including wildlife. The District offered our public parkland to a private developer so he could mitigate the destruction of endangered species-habitat for his private project. Management has created low employee morale with harsh sanctions and unfair terminations against employees, resulting in needless lawsuits and the payment of huge settlements to employees who fight back. And, sadly, the Park District operates with contempt for the public process whenever it conflicts with its own agenda, no matter what the human or environmental consequences.
	Join the following growing list of organizations and leaders to give the Park District a much needed wakeup call that we demand better management and stewardship of our resources before we vote more taxes.
				Mary Lee Jefferds, Retired Director East Bay Regional Park District Mark Shaw, President East Bay League of Conservation Voters J.H. Engbeck, Jr., Chair Friends of Claremont Canyon Lucrecia Edwards, Chair Contra Costa Shoreline Parks Harlan Kessel, Retired Director East Bay Regional Park District		Helen Klebanoff, President Regional Parks Association William B. Patterson Co-Founder and Vice President Citizens for Oakland's Open Space Alan La Pointe, Chair Friends of Wildcat Canyon Paul Merrick Dunsmuir Ridge Alliance
			Friends of Parks, 7505 Terrace Drive, El Cerrito, CA 94530 Contra Costa County Co-Chair; Norman La Force • Alameda County Co-Chair; Paul Merrick