Jail Tax

The state Supreme Court quashed the county’s jails and courts sales tax last month, much to the chagrin of the county supervisors. Ever since, we have heard about the will of the majority being thwarted.

It is important that we understand what this majority is. They say that 50.6% of the voters approved the tax, but just what does this mean? Given the low rate of voter registration and the even lower rate of election turnout, what it means is that about 10% of the adult population went to the polls and voted for the tax, and about 10% voted against. That’s the “majority.”

Even to get 10% to favor the tax, the county has to line up the votes of county workers and those who would benefit financially from the construction and financing contracts. And then the county looks for a favorable date for the election, one where it will stand the best chance for passage. They go to all this trouble to get a voting bloc to the polls, and then they claim the result represents the people as a whole.

JACK R. SANDERS, President, United Taxpayers of San Diego