Proponents of Traffic Tax Air Radio Ads

Proponents of a half-cent sales tax to pay for Orange County traffic improvements launched an advertising campaign Tuesday with 60-second spots on major radio stations in the Los Angeles-Orange County area.

The ads--the first in what could be a bitter election fight--urge radio listeners to return a questionnaire that only a select few will receive. The spots do not ask for support of the proposed tax, listed on the ballot as Measure M. Rather, the questionnaire, to be mailed soon, asks voters whether they would support a sales tax if it was earmarked for transportation projects, what kinds of projects they would want and how they feel about car-pool lanes, campaign officials said.

The measure would increase the sales tax from 6 cents to 6.5 cents, raising about $3.1 billion for traffic improvements over 20 years.

The campaign was begun after a Superior Court judge approved a settlement between Measure M supporters and opponents that calls for both sides to modify their written ballot arguments before Registrar of Voters Don Tanney includes the language in the voters’ pamphlet that will be mailed before the Nov. 7 election.

Reaction to the radio spots from Measure M opponents was minimal, since most of them said they had not heard the commercials.

“I think it’s an interesting approach,” said Costa Mesa Councilwoman Sandra L. Genis, who opposes the proposed tax and who missed the commercials Tuesday. “I’m puzzled as to why they are still doing questionnaires when there have been so many already. I would imagine that it costs a bundle. It’s typical Madison Avenue.”

Eventually, she said, Measure M critics may mail information to targeted groups of voters too.

“We’re going to be pretty low-key,” she said. “We think people will see what Measure M does and be able to decide for themselves whether it’s what they really want.”

Allan Hoffenblum, the Los Angeles-based political consultant who is managing the pro-Measure M campaign, declined to say how many stations are running the radio spots or how much they cost.

“What we’re trying to do with this is increase the return rate on the questionnaires,” he said.

The radio spots will run for a week or two on stations throughout the region, Hoffenblum said.

The results will be used to plan campaign strategy, Hoffenblum said.

Meanwhile, Superior Court Judge Eileen C. Moore ordered Tanney, the county registrar, to change wording in the ballot arguments to reflect a settlement of lawsuits filed by both sides alleging that each had included inaccurate and misleading comments in its written ballot arguments.

Opponents will drop their claim that approval of the tax would result in a debt of “$18 billion, plus interest.” Instead, the argument will say the measure would result in “potential billions in debt.” The measure’s supporters were pleased with the change because the argument now “accurately reflects that the debt isn’t guaranteed,” said Andrew Guilford, an attorney for Dana Reed, the treasurer for Citizens for Yes on M, the group supporting the measure.