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<br />Cost <br />1. I trust that I am not the only one troubled by a $3.245 million dollar price tag for this Ordnance. This is <br />no small sum of money. Given that this Ordnance will be administered by14.4 City employes, it would <br />seem each employee will cost $231,785 a year. These are either very high paying jobs or there is <br />definitely more cost associated with this. <br />2. Calling the Ordnance self-funding could be true. What is not true is calling the $100 per unit assessment <br />a fee; it is a tax. This Ordnance is tax funded as is every service the City provides. <br />3. It has been stated that the cost of this Ordnance is “only” a few cents a day. I would caution you when <br />anyone tells you it is “only” going to cost you X amount. What they’re not making clear is that it is still <br />costing you. The sales tax is only 9.25%, the tax on gasoline is only $1.40 etc. <br />4. As stated previously there is very little possibility of the cost of this scheme not escalating, especially <br />since the staff will be City employees whom, no doubt, will receive pay increases, benefit increases and <br />promotions. A point to consider with promotions is that as people promote their position must be <br />backfilled and this leads to an ever-growing organization. It is deceptive to claim that staff numbers will <br />not grow over time; more staff = more costs. These staff increases are more likely to be based on <br />administrative reasons rather than work load. <br />5. Has any thought been given to reducing employees if work load decreases? Has any thought been given <br />to the heavy reliance on outside vendors for data analysis? It is naive to believe the vendor will reduce <br />cost as time progresses. <br />Equity <br />1. Some on the Council have touted this Ordnance as being necessary for equity, I can only question the <br />logic of that. This Ordnance, and a degree of honesty must be exercised here, is biased heavily for the <br />tenant. There are virtually no free legal resources afforded the landlord but a plethora for the tenant i.e., <br />the eviction defense fund. Ignoring that there are bad tenants is utopian thinking. This Ordnance is <br />neither equitable or fair. <br />2. It has been postulated by some that government is here to help and that the services provided are <br />typically beneficial. This may be true for some services and to those of you whom have benefited I <br />applaud you. Those services were not free though, they were paid for with tax dollars. Those tax dollars <br />come from all of us not the government. There are no free services in government, someone has to pay <br />and that someone is the citizens. <br />In closing I would strongly urge each of you to review your Oath of Office, which you swore to uphold the <br />Constitution of the United States and of the State of California. Then I would urge you to read Section 1 of the <br />Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. After doing so I believe, at a minimum, you will find it difficult if <br />not impossible to support the registration tax and associated board and hopefully rescind the Ordnance in its <br />entirety. <br />Respectfully <br />Keith Carpenter <br /> <br /> <br />“It is a sin to be silent when it is your duty to protest” <br />Abraham Lincoln <br />