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Tania Ortiz’s article about the proposed sales tax increase in Santa Cruz County (Measure E) is confusing, although strictly speaking she followed the language of the printed ballot measure. The confusion lies in calling it a half-cent increase in the sales tax, when in actuality it is a half-percent increase, a far higher amount of money, depending of course on the size of the purchase. I hesitate to call it purposely deceptive on the part of its proponents or Tania, but it certainly is deceptive in practice, especially for anyone challenged by mathematics.
Who could be against being taxed an additional half a penny? But being taxed an extra 50 cents on a $100 purchase is another matter.
I am not advocating for or against the measure, but I am against the deceptive ballot language explaining it.
Ted Benhari
Santa Cruz
