Title: Stop the Sales Tax Hike — Santa Clara County Residents Can’t Afford This

 
Petition Text
Santa Clara County is pushing a massive sales tax increase that will raise rates close to 10% in some cities. This is a direct hit on every purchase you make — from groceries to clothes to school supplies — at a time when our cost of living is already crushing.

Why now? California has expanded Medi-Cal to cover undocumented immigrants, piling billions of dollars in new obligations onto taxpayers.

Here’s how it happened:

2016: Undocumented children became eligible for Medi-Cal.
2020: Young adults ages 19–25 gained full-scope Medi-Cal, regardless of immigration status.
2022: Undocumented adults 50+ became eligible.
2024: Expansion completed — all adults 26–49 now qualify, regardless of immigration status.
The result? Billions of dollars in added costs — and now our county leaders want YOU to pay for it through a permanent sales tax hike.

 
What This Means for You
Everything gets more expensive — groceries, school supplies, basic necessities.
Small businesses lose customers as people shop elsewhere to avoid high tax rates.
Permanent tax creep — once rates go up, they almost never come down.
 
We believe county taxes should protect local residents first — not cover Sacramento’s reckless spending.

 
We demand:

No sales tax increase — cut waste before raising taxes.
Full transparency on how Medi-Cal expansion is draining our budget.
Prioritize U.S. citizens and legal residents in county health services.