I like to read other blogs with other people’s observations. I was reading a long-time favorite when I suddenly realized – it’s very depressing, writing about the inevitable growing pains of a small, poorly managed city with huge problems. I’ve been sounding the alarm about overgrowth, poor planning, poor budgeting, and general malfeasance, for years. You start to feel like nobody cares, and nobody’s deserving of your concern.
I get contacted by people with real concerns, people who have been doing their homework and trying to participate in their local decision making, only to be pushed away with a palm to the forehead. Lately our local leaders here in Butte County are stooping to new lows to run taxes under the radar.
Recently I received this comment from Steve Jackson, regarding the Wyandotte Groundwater Sustainability Agency election.
Yesterday afternoon (7/27/23) the Wyandotte GSA held their public protest hearing at the Oroville City Council Chambers. The entire meeting can be viewed on YouTube at “07.27.23 Wyandotte Creek GSA”. Some key takeaways from this protest hearing are:
(1) of the 5000+ residents, many did not receive their protest notifications via US Mail;
(2) the vote was structured such that if you do nothing, it’s considered a “yes” vote in favor of the fee;
(3) for ALL GSA’s throughout the state, the constitutionality of this fee (tax) has yet to be tested, on its face it appears unconstitutional.
(4) a manager will be hired (as a county employee) at full salary to manage this GSA.
(5) Gavin Newsom misspent $2B in COVID money (his staff paid $2B in unemployment benefits to prison inmates, money that has yet to be recouped) yet California cannot pay for groundwater management at the state level…?
For everyone that lived in the (Cal Fire) State Responsibility Area (SRA), you may recall being subject to an unconstitutional “fee” (tax) several years ago. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) took Cal Fire to court over this tax and was eventually successful in overturning it (though the residents that paid the $115 fee annually for several years under protest never received a refund of their tax dollars).
The key takeaway of the GSA “fee” (tax) being imposed on citizens throughout California is this…it’s unconstitutional AND needs to be given it’s day in Court.
Thanks Steve, I will contact Howard Jarvis Association to see if they are aware of the recent well tax and if they have any concerns about it’s legality. This tax was rolled out like the sewer tax that came in the mail right after Thanksgiving weekend – poorly marked, and without a ballot, that notice looked like junk mail. I know, people need to read their mail, but these assessments were done in this matter at the suggestion of a consultant paid with taxpayer money, with the intention of undermining public participation and slipping an illegal tax past the voters.
Chico Taxpayers Association 