Tag Archive for: Dick Spotswood

U.S. Congress District 2 Candidates Forum

U.S. Congress District 2 Candidates Forum
7 p.m. on Zoom | Monday, February 12

This Q&A webinar, hosted by the Coalition of Sensible Taxpayers, provides an excellent opportunity to learn about the candidates running for the United States Congress District 2 seat. Hear from incumbent Congressman Jared Huffman and challengers Chris Coulombe and Tief Gibbs in this impartial forum moderated by the Honorable Leah T. Wilson, Executive Director of the California Bar Association.




This Forum features all the candidates who filed financial reports with the Federal Election Commission by January 29, 2024 (i.e., those who already have some campaign funding).

Voters should have already received ballots for the March 5 election by the date of this event.

Attendees are invited to submit questions in advance as well as during the forum. The outcome of this election impacts everyone in the county and across the United States.

To sign up for this informational assembly and to suggest questions in advance, please go to our website at costmarin.org.

Be smart! This election is important!
Get educated before you vote.



CO$T Hosts Non-Partisan, Impartially Moderated Candidate Webinars as a voter education community service.

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Spotswood on COST in The Marin IJ

“Founded by Kentfield’s Mimi Willard, COST, unlike most California taxpayer groups, doesn’t automatically make negative recommendations on every tax measure. That delivers credibility especially when the recommendation is positive. It also gives those ideologically opposed to all government-sponsored ballot measures a fit.”

“The all-volunteer group is active year-round endeavoring to nudge proponents of ballot measures to meet its criteria for support.

Its standards include equitability, transparency and sunset clauses. It supports only progressive parcel taxes levied per square foot of structure or per dwelling unit. Measures should include exemptions for seniors, disabled people and those with low incomes. COST opposes parcel taxes where each property owner pays the same whether it’s for a studio condo or a mall. Voters deserve the truth about a tax’s proposed use. All taxes need a realistic sunset date: 10 years for parcel taxes and 30 years for bonds. The tax’s use needs to meet basic cost-benefit ratios.”

Read More

Brewing Tax Hikes – Spotswood

Brewing tax hikes may test Marin voters’ generous spirit

A new article by Marin IJ columnist, Dick Spotswood examines the array of substantial tax hikes challenging Marin voters in the upcoming election cycle.

“Tamalpais Union High School District is pushing a blockbuster $450 million facilities improvement bond for the 2018 ballot. Its effort will cost homeowners $30 per $100,000 of their property’s assessed valuation, or an annual average of $300 per residential parcel.

Tam’s Board of Trustees is also considering complementing the bond with a 2020 parcel tax for operating expenses.

If that wasn’t enough, Marin County’s transportation agency will likely place a measure on the 2018 ballot continuing its current half-cent sales tax and increasing it by one-quarter cent.

In 2018, Marin along with other Bay Area counties will see Regional Measure 3 seeking approval for a $3-per-vehicle toll increase for travel across all bay toll bridges except the independently run Golden Gate Bridge.

Recall that a toll increase is a tax hike by another name.

Jumping the gun is Larkspur, which is sponsoring a November ballot measure to continue and increase its street-improvement sales tax to three-quarters of a cent. That’ll bring the city’s sales tax rate to 9 percent, nudging against the statewide 9.25 percent sales tax cap.

These collective efforts will kill Marin’s golden goose — the willingness of Marin voters to generously support tax measures which the public believes will lead to community improvements.

Local and regional officials are going too far, too fast.”  MORE HERE