Editorial: Car tax must be kept for disaster relief

California’s tragic wildfires are finally dying down,
thanks to better weather and the tireless efforts of the
state’s firefighters. And with the full devastation of the
fires finally becoming clear, some are calling for Gov.-elect
Schwarzenegger to reconsider his plan to cut the state car tax
““ because it is the car tax that helps, in part, to keep the
state’s police and firefighters funded.

Schwarzenegger faces a difficult dilemma. He promised in one of
his few campaign pledges to end the car tax if elected and pointed
to Gov. Gray Davis’ 300 percent rate increase as one of the
governor’s major failures. Since then, however, the wildfires
have shown just how badly California’s emergency services
need stable funding. And if Schwarzenegger does not uphold the tax,
it is unclear how he will avoid cutting funding for local police
and fire units.

Many areas simply cannot afford a cut. According to the Los
Angeles Times, the car tax brings in about $4 billion per year,
with $175 million going to Los Angeles ““ about $100 million
of which goes directly to fire services. Other cities receive
smaller, but still crucial, amounts.

As it is, emergency services in major urban areas are clearly
underfunded. San Diego County faces a crucial shortage of fire
fighting support: Also according to The Times, the county has no
fire fighting helicopters; it has a third fewer fire fighters per
1,000 residents than average and is the only county to rely on
mutual aid agreements to fight major fires.

These sobering numbers show just how important car tax funding
is for emergency services. Thankfully, rebuilding after the current
fires will not rely on the car tax alone. Because President George
W. Bush has declared federal emergencies in the affected areas,
federal aid will cover between 75 percent and 100 percent of the
funds used to fight the fires and will help rebuild.

But the fires have proven a point with frightening future
implications ““ disasters, natural and otherwise, can come at
any time. Modern emergency responses rely on advanced technologies
and highly-trained personnel. Thus, successful emergency responses
rely upon resources and funds allocated months and years before the
disaster, not on funds used to clean up after people and property
are destroyed.

Schwarzenegger is now caught in a difficult situation: If he
cuts the tax, he will gut the emergency services, and if he does
not, he will be seen as a liar by the public. L.A. Mayor James Hahn
said it best when he told The Times he thinks only one in 10
Californians understand how the car tax works. If Schwarzenegger
cuts the tax, he will likely be seen as a hero ““ at least
until the next time real heroes are needed.

Schwarzenegger can alienate uninformed voters or he can take a
stand and admit that the ongoing budget crisis will not be solved
with finger pointing and campaign rhetoric. He must rise above the
partisan fray and do what is best for the people of California:
Keep the car tax where it is.