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If city of Santa Cruz residents haven’t already, you will receive a ballot for Measure C and be asked to vote in favor of increasing the cost of our housing. You will be asked to do this in the name of “affordable housing.”  

Yes, you heard me right  – Santa Cruz has decided that the solution to homelessness is to intentionally raise housing costs through a new property tax.  Of course renters will also be impacted when these new taxes get passed along to them.  

Please vote no on the so-called “affordable housing” Measure C.  

We need to reduce the cost of housing in Santa Cruz, not intentionally increase it. Yes, I appreciate politicians love to take the shirt off our backs in order to give to someone else, but in this case the very solution (a new property tax) makes the problem (lack of affordable housing) worse. 

I believe only property developers and property managers will benefit from Measure C (note who is funding Measure C).  

There is zero chance increasing the cost of housing will solve homelessness. Even if taking money from your neighbors and handing it to property developers and property managers did temporarily solve homelessness in Santa Cruz, how long would that last? It would be a bat signal attracting people to our community for handouts. Politicians would line up to publicize and take credit for this housing handout. News would spread fast. San Francisco isn’t that far away; folks will realize a short ride to Santa Cruz will result in free food, housing and other handouts. Combined with nice weather, and our lax enforcement of drug and property laws in Santa Cruz, and BINGO – we’ve created the country’s largest welcoming mat for the homeless. 

Finally, a new tax is not the answer to every problem. Nothing is stopping you from donating your own money, or your own time, in any way that you see fit. This is about not taking, by force, what belongs to your neighbors and handing it to someone else. That isn’t cool. Or fair. Or right. Please vote no on Measure C.

John Fisher

Santa Cruz