Due to changes in commercial rent taxes, San Francisco's city budget for early childcare is 13 percent less than last year.
Protesters gathered after changes were made in commercial rent taxes through proposition C– an increased tax imposed on high-earning businesses as a measure to further fund homelessness services and provide access to subsidized child care.
Protesters gathered after changes were made in commercial rent taxes through proposition C – an increased tax imposed on high-earning businesses as a measure to further fund homelessness services and provide access to subsidized child care.
The change in rent taxes led to a loss in some of the city’s $14 billion dollar yearly budget, cutting city department resources dedicated to early childcare, and tenants' rights programs.
Sara Hicks-Kilday, with the Early Child Education Advocacy Coalition and Early Care Educators of San Francisco, had this to say:
“You don’t just say, ‘Oh, in bad economic times, we don’t care about the baseline anymore and we can sweep it away.’ I mean, that’s what a baseline is for, right to say, even in bad times, here’s our base commitment to early care and education and 0-5 services. And so we do not, the language needs to be absolutely clear that you can’t just erase a baseline.”
Protesters plan to lobby for more money TO FUND low-income households before the city's Board of Supervisors approves the city’s budget, which Breed is scheduled to sign by Aug. 1.
