There are 2 local propositions on the ballot in Pinole this primary- Measure R from the West Contra Costa Unified School District, a bond measure to fund school renovations in WCCUSD; and Measure J from Contra Costa county, a sales tax increase of 1/2 cent for 30 years to fund various transportation projects.
I support Measure R and Measure J.
The reason why I support Measure R is simple. Pinole has benefited disproportionately from the last school bond measure to pass- it funded the construction of the new Pinole Valley High School,at double the expected cost. Those funds were not available to go to the last projects on the reconstruction list, which just happened to be concentrated in Richmond, in historically disadvantaged areas. Without Measure R, those projects will continue to not be completed, and if Proposition 13 passes, WCCUSD will be less able to access funds from it. As a resident of Pinole, we owe the rest of the district the chance to do better than we did.
Measure J has a good balance of transit measures across the county. While I would like to see a BART extension towards Hercules prioritized, failing that the measures taken in Measure J are a good mitigation step. It would increase funding for roadway repairs across the county (which Pinole certainly needs). It would also dedicate a significant amount of money ($250 million) to improving bus service frequency and lowering cost of use in West County, which is key to having buses be accepted as a transit alternative (https://ccta.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CCTA_TEP_Draft24_final3_102319.pdf, the 2020 Transportation Expenditure Plan, page 22).
Rafael's thoughts 