It would appear that some people in our community are under the misconception that the new State Fire Tax affecting residents in the unincorporated portions of Malibu is funding fire fighting efforts in Malibu. They say we should be happy to pay. Nothing could be further from the truth.
According to Supervisor Zev Yaroslavky’s office, the county fought ABx129, the fire tax, and also tried to obtain funding from it when it became apparent that it would pass. County fire does not receive funding from ABx129.
It was county fire resources that responded to our recent fires. The super scoopers and sky crane helicopter are under contract to the county, not the state.
Not once in ABx129 is the term “suppression” used. This bill repeatedly refers to “prevention.” Prevention in the state’s eyes is education, public workshops, pamphlets, brush clearance on state property and the all important administration, spelled “bureaucracy.” Parks are a statewide issue and not the responsibility of a few homeowners. Please recall the hidden $54M uncovered in State Parks budget.
When I built my first home in Malibu in 1970, the only park in the area was Leo Carrillo, adjacent to the Malibu City. The language in ABx129 states that one reason for the tax is private residence near state parkland. I submit that I have a greater risk from fire because the parks are in our area not the other way around. Most of our devastating fires have originated “over the hill.”
Not that it has anything to do with the price of bananas, but with over 45 years in Malibu, I have observed more homes burned and property destroyed in the Malibu city area than in the unincorporated areas. I pay the L.A. County Fire assessment through my property tax, the same as people in the city. The lines delineating state responsibility area were drawn in a very arbitrary manner to exclude cities to keep the opposition down.
Once these taxes get established, they never go away and they grow! It just doesn’t add up how the state can tax me twice as much as the county in the name of “fire,” and not provide me anything tangible in exchange.
Randy DeGregori