Tough Times, Tough Tax

County government is facing a vexing dilemma. Its jails are overcrowded and its court facilities are inadequate, while the public clamors for judges to be tougher on criminals. On the other hand, it’s almost impossible to see where the money to meet this challenge will come from.

Supervisor George Bailey has a novel idea for dealing with this problem. He proposes to go to the voters, level with them on the facts, and ask them to approve a sales-tax increase to pay for $420 million in jail and courthouse construction.

Bailey is aware of the difficulties involved in getting the necessary two-thirds vote to approve a half-cent-per-dollar increase in the sales tax.

But he reasons that when the voters approved Proposition 13 and set the two-thirds standard, they weren’t saying they didn’t want any further tax increases, just that they wanted to have control of them.

Last week the Board of Supervisors voted to put the sales-tax proposal on the June ballot, pending the necessary approval of the state Legislature. The Legislature should waste no time acting on the measure and allow it to go forward.

Bailey’s plan has been endorsed by Sheriff John Duffy, San Diego Police Chief William Kolender, the president of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and others who are concerned that people charged with misdemeanors are routinely being released without ever seeing a jail cell.

Not only should this issue go on the ballot, but it should be approved by the voters. The extra tax would be collected only for five years--or less if state or federal funds are forthcoming to help pay for the facilities. Already under a court order not to allow the population of the downtown jail to exceed 750, the county is facing a real crisis if money is not found soon to begin this badly needed construction.