“Vote No on Measure A” isn’t about “survival.” It’s about accountability and sustainable planning. It’s about protecting Santa Clara County from financial collapse.

This isn’t the time to slip a tax hike through quietly in the middle of the night, just because next year’s ballot is already crowded with new tax proposals. Measure A is tone deaf to the inflationary pressures our residents are facing. It’s a panic move — firing off fiscal flares instead of charting a responsible, long-term course that truly serves the people of Santa Clara County.

Before demanding another dime from taxpayers, the county should explain how its budget nearly doubled — from $7 billion to $13.5 billion — in just a few years, while its deficit continues to spiral out of control. If that’s not sheer mismanagement, what is?

The real problem isn’t revenue — it’s spending

County leaders warn of a $4.4 billion annual shortfall by 2030, yet much of that deficit isn’t driven by frontline health care costs. It stems from poor decisions — particularly the county’s costly takeover of failing private hospitals it managed perfectly well without for decades. Rather than focusing on efficient governance, Santa Clara County has turned itself into a sprawling health care bureaucracy, and now taxpayers are being asked to bail out years of mismanagement. It’s time to draw the line — no new taxes. Not today. Not tomorrow.

Measure A attempts to mask deep structural problems with yet another 0.625% sales-tax hike — pushing San Jose’s rate to nearly 10%, and even higher in cities like Campbell. It’s a bandage on a broken system, delaying the real reforms needed to fix decades of inefficiency. And the truth is, the money raised from this tax is a mere drop in the bucket compared to the county’s looming deficit. Do we really want a government whose only plan is to raise taxes year after year? Are we really prepared to raise taxes every year — and in doing so, sanction continued mismanagement?

Sales taxes hurt those we’re told we’re helping

The county admits this sales taxes is regressive and will hit low-income families hardest — including seniors on fixed incomes and working parents already struggling with California’s highest cost of living. A “temporary” five-year tax is shielding government mismanagement from scrutiny, avoiding a forensic audit of county operations that many are asking. Historically, temporary taxes in Santa Clara County rarely stay temporary — this too may become permanent.

Core services are already funded

The county’s hospitals, clinics and emergency services are essential — but they’re already guaranteed baseline funding through existing revenue streams. Measure A doesn’t protect these services. It writes the county a blank check without requiring structural reform or performance audits. True accountability means demanding efficiency, not rewarding inefficiency.

A vote for fiscal discipline

Proponents of Measure A claim the stakes are life and death. The truth is more complex: fiscal health is public health. When we spend without accountability, we weaken the very services we’re trying to protect.

At this pace, Santa Clara County could face financial collapse by 2030. Let’s send a clear message — taxpayers demand transparency, responsibility and real reform, not another quick “fix” with tax increases.

Rejecting Measure A isn’t rejecting compassion — it’s demanding competence. It’s a call for government to do what every household has been forced to do in tough times: tighten operations before asking for more.

Vote No on Measure A — and send a clear message that fiscal discipline must come before new taxes.

Rishi Kumar is chair of the No on Measure A Tax Committee, a candidate for county assessor and a former Saratoga councilmember.