With all precincts reporting, Measure H had 67.44 percent of the vote, just ahead of the two-thirds majority it needed to pass. The measure was short of the threshold much of Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, but it steadily gained ground as vote-counting continued, and it passed the two-thirds mark only when the final precincts reported.
The Board of Supervisors declared homelessness a countywide emergency and chose the sales tax hike over a number of other funding alternatives, including a millionaire’s tax, a parcel tax and a special tax on marijuana.
Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who has called homelessness “the moral issue of our generation,” told City News Service that “Los Angeles County has the dubious distinction of having more homeless people on its streets on any given night than any other county in the United States.
The ballot measure — dubbed the Los Angeles County Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness — garnered the support of more than 300 community advocates, labor unions, faith groups and other organizations, including the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles Times.
Opponents of the measure argued that the tax increase would fail to make a significant difference in eliminating homelessness and that taxes are already too high. However, there was no organized campaign against Measure H and no argument in opposition was submitted for the ballot.
The quarter-cent sales tax is projected to provide $355 million annually for 10 years.
The county has promised to create a transparent process for spending the money, envisioning “an inclusive planning process which draws on the experience, expertise and wisdom of cities, homeless service providers and experts, the faith and business communities, formerly homeless individuals and county departments.”
The county has committed to hire an independent auditor to report on Measure H spending and to set up a citizens’ oversight advisory board to track allocations. A 10-year sunset clause is built in for accountability and assessment.
It will cost $450 million annually to provide all the support needed to end homelessness, according to LAHSA and the county board.
Previous related stories:
Homeless tax goes before LA County voters Tuesday
Supervisors vow transparency on homeless tax funds
Board of Supervisors to put quarter-cent sales tax on special March ballot
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Tom says
I would have no problem giving money to help the homeless, but we all know this money will be used elsewhere.
KJH says
I just can’t wait to see who gets their hands in the Measure H1 “Homeless Cookie Jar” and who is assigned to hand out money to these organizations.
John says
I predict the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will vote themselves a pay raise in the near future.
No more giving my spare change, as if there is such a thing as spare change, to the homeless. I’ll just say no and not have to feel guilty about it because now the County reaches into my pocket and just takes it from me to spread around like butter.
Anyone that voted no for Measure H do not have to feel guilty anymore for not giving your “spare change” to anyone that asks for it.
Tim Scott says
LOL….so, your priority in life is finding ways to be a jerk without feeling guilty about it? Is that what you are trying to share here?
Laughing says
Actually a good point once the funds start rolling out to the streets. Why give if they are getting already… Kindness, and for those religious types following Jesus’ example.
William says
Hey, John
California is expensive. If you can’t afford it, move. There are plenty of red states that will tax you less and provide even fewer services. And, blue states like California will help support you in one of the welfare red states.
People move all the time for various reasons. You are not STUCK HERE.
Go for it or spend the rest of your days complaining about it. There’s Kansas.
Tim Scott says
Or Mississippi. Austerity is really working down there. Or maybe Alabama, where they cracked down on undocumented workers, destroyed the only industry the state has, and completely tanked their economy. Plenty of great demonstrations of Republican governing principles to choose from John. Don’t let the door hit ya in the butt.
Shane Falco says
Who knew Alabama was a bastion of bustling economy and a veritable utopia until the republicans enforced the immigration laws?
Tim Scott says
Oh, they had it plenty screwed up before they got around to that particular death blow…just like they have destroyed basically every state that has put Republicans in charge. Then they line up and scream about how “unfair” it is that the states where democrats are in charge have left them behind.
William says
The 5 or 6 states that went for trump have the highest opioid abuse going and West Virginia is at the top of the list.
Is it possible that many voters under the influence of those drugs gave the election to trump.
How perfect is that? Not only is the suicide/overdose rate high in those states but apparently they want to rest of the country to ‘die’ with them.
In essence, they were ‘suicide voters’ analogous to ‘suicide bombers’.
Is this a great country or what?
SMHX2 says
@John, I am highly suspicious about your actions, I bet you berate homeless instead of giving them your spare change. Please don’t take us for naïve individuals, you wouldn’t know kindness if it stood in front of you. Bon voyage, LOL!
Ruby says
… putting a sales tax initiative to a referendum is woefully unethical. It preys upon the collective ignorance of the electorate. Henceforth, that it constitutes a reasonably good barometer of the collective policy IQ of Southern California’s electorate, passage of Measure H rates the Los Angeles policy community roughly equivalent to a mental retard, with a 4th grade education. Taxation is a sacred trust. Never should policymakers leverage a tax, frivolously. The worst of the worst, always a better alternative, sales tax policy constitutes the most egregious of pro-cyclical policy measures a policy community could ever leverage, upon its constituents. Policy malpractice, the Los Angeles county seat having succumbed headlong, to systemic corruption, not since Simpson-Mazolli has a policy initiative been so ripe for gaming, as Measure H –
Cheri says
Americans are arrogant, insensitive, misinformed, they mindlessly drive their automobiles with their brains in neutral, and they eat too much. Economics 101 for idiots, because the deadweight loss incurred is always equal-to-or-greater-than net proceeds, an excise tax or sales tax is always (ALWAYS) inefficient. Never is an excise tax, or sales tax Pareto preferred, much less Pareto optimal. Ipso facto, by definition, application of a sales or excise tax to problem solving constitutes policy malpractice. Never in the course of human history has a sales or excise tax ever facilitated amelioration of a civic issue, problem or dilemma –
SMHX2 says
All mighty Cheri, what does your all powerful brain suggest?
RON says
Man people are stupid. How many times do the politicians ask us for more tax money when we already paid too much to start with? They squander it and pocket much of it. Just like, how many times over are they going to ask us to increase tax for road repairs that we already paid for with our taxes many times over? They keep using thee money for other pet projects and pocket a lot of it. STOP TAXING US TO DEATH!
callingitasitis says
@Pirrurrisc
We did not know that you were such a strong believer in God & Jesus. We can all tell by your words and works. Sell off all your stuff, give it to the homeless. Show us all how it is done. If you are truly concern try given to a charity that helps the homeless.
http://graceresources.org/
https://losangelesmission.org
Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.
Mark Twain
frankie says
also known as, eric garcetti’s secret sanctuary city slush fund, for the mexicans! from here on out, a quarter cent of everything you now buy automatically goes, to the mexicans. period. and, that’s that. you have no say in this whatsoever –
Tim Scott says
I’m guessing it might be known as that in circles of idiots. You should upgrade the company you keep. Nationalists are death to freedom.
Someguy says
That’s funny every cum stain I see standing on the corner begging for money is white yet the latinos are selling flowers and fruit at least.
Laughing says
Consider this a giant thumbs up!
SMHX2 says
Completely true!
GBA says
@SMHX2, Tim Scott and William
Wow stay away from this site for a few months and come back to find the same hate and name calling from the three of you. I used to get angry at your ranting but now I actually feel sorry for you guys because you seem to lead such miserable lives!!
Tim Scott says
LOL…the old “wow, I have never met you and have no idea about you, but gosh I can just tell you are leading a miserable life.” That certainly demonstrates something, but it isn’t about anyone but you. You seem to be grasping at straws in a desperate attempt to maintain your misguided sense of superiority. If you ever want to meet and find out how miserable I’m not, drop me a line. I’ll buy the coffee. But we know that you wouldn’t want to, since meeting me in person would likely dash that false sense of superiority completely, and then what would you have?
SMHX2 says
@Tim Scott & @William
Do you guys live a miserable life? I had no idea, sorry to hear that. @GBA, I live an amazing life, thanks for checking. I’d let you in a little to see how cool it is, but you’d be completely jealous and that would be too depressing for you. Sniff.
Tim Scott says
No worries SMHX2, my life is far from miserable. I’m not as nice as you though. I think all four of us should get together and you, me and William could just rub GBA’s nose in how wrong he is. I’ll buy the coffee.
GBA says
@Tim Scott says
The superiority complex belongs to the liberal left. So you should own it. By the way if you three guys want to “just rub GBA’s nose in how wrong he is.” Then you shouldn’t assume GBA is a he because you’d be wrong.
RON says
That’s because if your White they won’t help you. I have a friend that was seriously down on his luck from family dying and an injury, so he became homeless in San Diiego and he said the first thing they wanted to know when he tried to get help was if he was Hispanic. As soon as he said no, they told him that they couldn’t help him. You’re an awful person for saying such things. Whites can’t get help you foul mouthed scum.
Tim Scott says
This is a pure BS story. You’re gonna have to make up something more plausible Ron.
Ron says
It’s not BSl. He was just a good guy, not on drugs likely like you probably are, and just very down on his luck. I’ve heard of this happening to other whites too. By the way, I’m from Lebanon, not a white american.
You’re a horrible person to say this didn’t happen to him. He was suffering on the streets and its mean people like you that make the world a terrible place to live. Terrible.
Tim Scott says
LOL…not believing your second hand anecdote makes me a horrible person, but your spreading of false race baiting BS makes you…what? The good guy? Get a grip dude.
What it looks like to me... says
“Down with corperate greed! Tax the rich corperations!!!”
“Where’d all these homeless people come from?”
“Hey lets tax everyone to help pay for these homeless people!”
Tim Scott says
“Last year I couldn’t even spell corporation, but since an idiot can get elected president I’m encouraged enough to try to defend them.”
Pirrurris says
If Jesus was here today, he would approve passing measure H. If the hypocrite republicans are okay with corporate welfare, then Jesus wuld be okay with helping the poor.
Voter says
I agree with you Pirrurris. Jesus would have approved measure H but he would have rejected Rex’s homeless tax scam in Lancaster because it was really a front for more law enforcement to round out homeless and throw them in jail.
Deena says
to wit, the allusion dearest Pirrurris would beg of you would be, everyone who disagrees with the quarter cent sanctuary city slush fund bill is the devil, and everyone who agreed automatically gets the deluxe condo in heaven, blessed 72 grade school virgins in the hereafter. It’s precisely this delusional line of 8th century theocracy directly attributable to so many Obama moderates having just fled the democratic political party, en mass –
Shane Falco says
In Matthew 26, a woman is using expensive and perfume on the head of Jesus. One of the disciples had said she was wasting it as it could have been sold for a great price and money given to the poor.
Jesus said…clearly…that the poor will be with us ALWAYS and using the resource on him was noble.
Most churches have homeless/poor outreach and support programs. It’s always amusing how lefty folks point to Jesus for social reasons but shut anything Christ based when it comes to morality or accountability.
Rochelle says
ah! Garcetti’s sanctuary city bill just passed! More free stuff, for the illegal immigrants! Hooray!
Pirrurris says
Rochelle, just like the free stuff that goes out to rich corporations, every year, in the form of corporate welfare. Why are you not outragged about corporate welfare?
Cynthia says
Rochelle shut your [removed] up you are the one who gets the free stuff cause I know I don’t work you [removed]
Jason says
All the stupid liberals in this county is amazing
10dog says
So true!
Pirrurris says
Jason, just like the stupid God loving hypocrite basket of deplorables, that are okay with giving out billions to rich corporations, in corporate welfare, and electing a p*^*^sy grabber, draft dodger, tax evader, as their president. You no longer get to call yourselves the family values party.
Ron says
It’s the main steam media and the lying politicians that con these dummies to keep opening up their and our wallets.
NewmanHelloJerry says
OMG. Who votes yes? Next year they will introduce Measure H2. Another quarter tax.
SMHX2 says
Obviously the big majority such as myself still have a heart and common sense. Homelessness affects everyone, hooray and kudos to all who supported the measure, I’m glad racism and hate did not win!
John says
The big majority did not vote because 11.45 percent of registered voters voted in the election. Only about 8 percent of registered voters voted for Measure H.
SMHX2 says
Too bad so sad, if you don’t vote than don’t complain. Pretty simple, right?
John says
I voted and I am not complaining. Just stating a fact that the majority of voters did not vote for measure H. They thought that the homeless people were not important enough to got out and vote.
Voter says
That’s the secret to Rex’s success. Low turnout, election in April on odd years, precincts in churches. What a formula. He may have burned his bridges though by supporting the marijuana grows in Lancaster. The churches were not happy.
Could it be the end of the Rex Reign in Lancaster? We can only hope.
Jay says
It’s not so much about hate or being racist; it’s about how government is using the money. Why can’t the government come up with a plan on how to deal with homelessness and let’s see how much money they need? Instead, the government just say, give me money, I will put it to good use and fix this problem.
That’s great you have so much faith in our elected officials.
Pirrurris says
OMG, the same people that vote to take funding away from public schools, and give billions to rich corporations, are concerned about measure H passing? LOL.
Ron says
No, we just know that politicians keep taking our money and squandering it and putting a lot of it in their pockets along with Unions and some of the Mega Corps. And it’s these dummies keep letting the politicians take more and more and more and more money from us. They will always want more, so they need to be cut off.