Scott Huber tells us to put our money where our mouth is? What is this, WWE?

I saw this recent letter to the Enterprise Record from Scott Huber, who quit Chico City council in disgrace after citizens confronted him for breaking the law by aiding and abetting illegal campers. He had also taken a summer job out of state – over 1,000 miles away in Wyoming – leading a lot of us to question his dedication to his position here. He quit in a huff, insisting he feared for his family’s safety over remarks made on social media, as well as a barrage of emails sent to him at his new employment address.

Hey, if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. I thought his excuses were questionable – just lame, really. For one thing, he’s no angel, he’s a very contentious person. He was very offensive in remarks he made from the dais, and unapologetic about breaking the laws he was hired as council member to uphold. I’m sorry, I didn’t buy his whining excuses then, and I don’t buy them now. He got mad because he wasn’t getting his way, he tried to ditch out on his duties, he got busted and publicly humiliated, so he went dragging his blanket into the corner to sit in his underwear watching cartoons and eating Captain Crunch. Tipper said Al didn’t change out of his bathrobe or shave for two weeks after November 2000.

If he was so fearful for his family’s safety, why did he stay in Chico to continue to dabble in local politics? And I have to wonder – he’s FOR the tax measure, while his friends Karl Ory and the other liberal candidates are posing AGAINST it? What the hell is going on down at Democratic HQ these days? Looks like a lot of posing and posturing to me.

Below, Huber parrots staff, complains that if other cities are doing it, why shouldn’t we, and then insults us all with an ugly charge to “put their money where their mouth is”. Who is he talking to?

“Four years ago Chico City staff identified that it would take $188 million dollars to catch up with long deferred road maintenance and repair costs (Chico Enterprise-Record, February 24, 2018). Over and above that it was estimated that the annual cost of maintaining and improving city streets was running about $7 million to $8 million dollars per year. Ironically, the city’s annual roadway maintenance budget is just $1.2 million.”

Yes, Chris Constantin went before every committee and commission and board of the city and painted a picture of doom and gloom, unless we passed a sales tax measure. That paragraph looks right out of the power point presentation. But read it – “long deferred maintenance...” Who deferred that maintenance? Council, after council, which included people who still sit on council and other local boards, and another guy who just got hired as city manager. And who agreed to put that money into the pension payments? Council, at the direction of Staff. Who agreed to a mere $1.2 million for the roadway budget? Well, that’s not correct, I checked the budget – that’s for all capital improvements, including roads. And Huber approved it, along with the rest of council. What an ass.

“The minimum statewide tax rate in California is 7.25%, and cities are allowed an add-on rate of up to 1.00% for local needs such as road repair https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/taxes-and-fees/sales-use-tax-rates.htm . In most areas of California, local jurisdictions have added district taxes that increase the tax owed by a seller.

“Chico is one of only eight cities in California over 50K people that do not have an add on sales tax.  Of those eight, we have the lowest budget per capita for the general fund.“

So he’s saying, that because other jurisdictions have been able to rope their voters into paying higher taxes, we should do same? My mother’s voice echoes in my head: so if your idiot friends all decided to jump off a cliff, you’d do it too? Why should we raise our sales tax based on towns like Oroville, which is still crying poormouth after a successful full-cent tax increase measure?

Unlike Oroville and other local jurisdictions, Chico has a strong retail sector with three major shopping districts, multiple new car dealers, and probably more bars and liquor stores than any town really needs. A Walmart and how many big chain grocery and retail stores – including two major home improvement chains and a local building supplier? Sheesh, CVC towers popping up all over town. All situated centrally among tiny towns with no Walmart, no car dealerships, no nationally known beer manufacturer, no major hospital.

Yes, hospitals include sales tax on many things, like those $50 aspirins they give you, crutches, bandages, splints, the baby supplies that come with your new child, etc. They only things they can’t tax are doctor/nurse services, your room/food service, and your prescriptions, everything else is taxed.

By the way, when the proponents of this measure mention that “visitors” will pay a large share, you should remember, they mean anybody who doesn’t live in Chico, like our friends and relatives in Biggs, Gridley, Paradise. Even folks from towns in Glenn and Tehama County come here to shop, eat at restaurants, enjoy movie theaters, and look for medical care. Is this any way to treat people who support your economy? Like cash cows?

And here’s where Mr. Birdwatcher goes trash mouth:

“With these hard realities in mind, the question of putting a sales tax to the voters has been proposed, debated and rejected by various configurations of the City Council repeatedly. Finally, despite opposition that has been both predictable and political, Chico voters have an opportunity to “put their money where their mouth is” and actually do something to make Chico safer. A large bipartisan group of Chico residents and business interests support the small tax and it will not be applied to groceries or medication.“

Here’s a person who does not allow anybody to disagree with him. If we question this tax, it’s “predictable and political,” meaning he closes his ears as soon as we open our mouths because he believes he will not like what we say. If he doesn’t like our “politics” he doesn’t have to listen to us. Fascists like Scott Huber do not belong in positions of public trust.

And then it gets contentious. This is the kind of phrase my grandpa always warned me not to use, cause it might lead to teeth hitting the playground. “put your money where your mouth is” are fighting words. It means, put up your fists. It’s offensive to me that this jackass thinks he can call people out like that, after he said he fears for his family’s safety. What a heap of doodoo.

Finally, he makes the promise that he don’t have to keep.

“Help make Chico’s roads safer, please join me in supporting Measure H.“

One more time – repeat after me – Measure H is a simple majority measure, passed with 50% + 1 additional participating voter. It is a permanent tax with no dedicated purpose. The revenues from this measure will go into the General Fund to be spent at the whim of council, whatever council. You have to look at past spending, and ask yourself, do we want to put more unrestricted money down this rabbit hole?

No, No, No on H.