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City of Oakland Telephone Access Charge, Measure W (November 2010)

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A City of Oakland Telephone Access Charge, Measure W ballot proposition was on the November 2, 2010 ballot for voters in the City of Oakland in Alameda County. It was decisively defeated.[1]

If approved by voters, the Telephone Access Charge would have allowed the city to bill residents $1.99 per telephone line and businesses $13 per trunk line.[2]

Election results

  • Yes: 33,393
  • No: 43,660 Defeatedd

Results are from the Alameda County current election results website, as of November 7, 2010. Vote totals may increase if additional absentee ballots are counted and added to the total.

Overall tax burden

According to Chip Johnson, a columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle, "...if voters approve every tax measure sought by the city and the Oakland Unified School District this November, the average Oakland resident would have to pay an extra $627 a year. That would nearly double the local tax bill to about $1,400 a year."[3]

Other tax measures on the Oakland ballot are Measure BB, Measure L, Measure V and Measure W. Oakland voters will also be impacted by Measure F.[4]

Opposition

The editorial board of the Oakland Tribune recommended a "no" vote on Measure W, saying, "Oakland's high unemployment rate is well above the national average. Thousands have lost their homes. Many are struggling to pay for the basics. This is the reality for many Oaklanders. It is one reason why we strongly reject the city-sponsored ballot measures X and W. They would place an even greater burden on residents who are already struggling. The other reason we urge you to vote no is that the ballot measures are bad policy. They are hastily drawn, poorly crafted proposals designed by a city leadership that lacks the courage to address Oakland's long-term structural financial problems in a meaningful fashion."[5]

Text of measure

The question on the ballot:

Measure W: To support vital city services including public safety, library services, and parks and recreation, shall the Oakland Municipal Code be amended to establish a telephone “access line” tax at a rate of $1.99 per month per access line and $13 per month per “trunk line” will proceeds placed in the City’s General Fund subject to annual audits?

See also

External links

References

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