Letters

Editor,

We urge Burlingame residents to vote no on Measure H. While we all desire reliable flood and seismic infrastructure, we believe the proposed tax behind Measure H is flawed and will place a significant and inequitable burden on renters, recent homebuyers and future Burlingame homeowners. Our Measure H opposition is supported by the local chapters of the Republican Party, the Green Party and the Libertarian Party (the Democratic Party has not considered taking a position).

First, the proposed tax affects housing affordability at a time when home buyers are already spending a higher percentage of their income on housing. Measure H levies a tax based on assessed value, which places a significant and inequitable burden on new and future homeowners.

The average new homeowner will pay $11,243 over the next 31 years for Measure H — over three times the amount of the average homeowner. Measure H will cost many others $15,000 to $20,000 and even more.

New homeowners make up 13 percent of all homeowners, but will pay 31 percent of the tax.

Measure H could increase rents in Burlingame. While Measure H may benefit rental property owners by protecting their property values, renters may foot the bill without receiving the same benefit.

While Burlingame provided projections of the proposed tax, it is important to remember these are estimates. All taxpayers bear some risk if interest rates rise or if the city’s credit rating deteriorates.

There are more equitable financing alternatives. Taxes based on assessed value, existing and proposed, could cost the average new homeowner $1,200 per year. Many communities in the Bay Area, including Atherton, Mountain View, Piedmont, Marin County and Berkeley funded measures using a tax based on property type and square footage. Many of these communities set lower taxes for rental units and set a maximum tax that doesn’t unduly burden newer and future homeowners. We do not believe the city gave enough consideration to these other options.

Since all property owners reap the same benefit from improved flood infrastructure, regardless of when they purchased their property, we would support a more equitable alternative. Furthermore, no one benefits economically from making Burlingame potentially unattractive and unaffordable to newer and future homeowners or renters. Property values may be at risk. The City Council should explore other financing methods that offer more certainty and fairness to Burlingame taxpayers.

Elana Lieberman, Michael Battat, Daniel Glatt, M.D., Lawrence Lustig, M.D., Richard Voon

Burlingame

Why voters don’t

‘know’ Angelides

Dear Editor,

If Democratic voters interviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle don’t know enough about Angelides to form an opinion of him, doesn’t that say something about how well or poorly the Chronicle, as the Bay Area’s most widely read newspaper, has covered this important race? Prior to the Hearst takeover, any election of this magnitude would have elicited extensive articles detailing both candidates’ past experience, present positions and future plans. Full transcripts of all debates and major speeches would have been provided. Speculation about the race and the paper’s bias would have been confined to the editorial page.

In short, the Chronicle needs to look to itself to find out the reason why voters don’t "know” Angelides. However, that doesn’t let the voters off the hook. In this Internet era, any self-respecting Democrat who doesn’t know what Angelides stands for had better hightail it to www.angelides.com/issues and do their homework. There is no excuse not to.

Angelides has plans to make the education system the best in the country again, to make a middle class tax "cut” and install solutions to help small businesses, and more and to do that he is asking the very wealthiest Californians — the top 1 percent who make over $250,000 a year ($500,000 for couples) to pay a little more in taxes. He’s not going to tax you — he’s going to tax Larry Ellison. He’s going to tax Schwarzenegger and he’s going to tax himself and all the other rich folk who got huge tax cuts from the federal government during the Bush reign. With one click of your mouse, you will be able to see who is the one best suited to lead California.

Dani Weber

San Mateo

The ‘hometown’

bond measure

Editor,

Of all the bond measures on the Nov. 7 ballot, Measure H, Burlingame’s flood bond, is the only one that is a hometown measure. One hundred percent of the money stays in Burlingame and will be spent on Burlingame improvements — guaranteed.

"Measure H for Hometown” will fix the flooding for new residents, as well as longtime residents. All residents are winners.

If you are a Burlingame voter, please vote "yes” on Measure H — "H for Hometown.”

Rudy Horak

Burlingame

Yes on Measure H

Editor,

In 1978, when Proposition 13 took effect almost all those who purchased homes after 1972 at the then outrageous price of $300,00-$500,000 level cried "FOUL” in regard to property tax assessment. Almost 30 years later "FOUL” is again being cried by those who have purchased homes in Burlingame in the last three to five years in excess of $1 million. Those who bought into our community in the late ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, with the view of remaining long term and not intending to flip property for quick profit, have not suffered unduly through "perceived property tax inequity.” When they bought their property they knew up front what their yearly property tax would be. They found that it would never again be subject to the wild fluctuations and whims of the pre-1972 era. They knew there would always be some kind of supplemental tax for things like mosquito abatement, the hospital district or bond measures for the enhancement and benefit of the community. These are the considerations and hard number crunching that one must do when deciding if he can afford to purchase anything.

Just as insurance rates are higher for new young drivers; just as interest rates on new mortgages are front-loaded: just as property tax is higher for the newest homeowner, in the long run it does all even out. In 10 or 15 years, when a loaf of bread costs $7, and homes are selling for $3 to $4 million, today’s new homeowners will be celebrating their "lower” tax rate.

So why not simply consider that Measure H is an added insurance premium to keep Burlingame, and your investment from going under. And, let us not forget, that unlike insurance premiums, property tax can be written off annually on IRS Form 1040.

Patricia Giorni

Burlingame