Well, I knew it was coming the moment the city said last year that it would be hiring a consultant to perform a survey of Ceres residents’ attitudes about city services. Those kinds of surveys always come before a tax increase or bond measure on the ballot.

On Monday the Ceres City Council voted 4-1 to generously allow ya’ll to vote whether or not you want to pay more taxes.

A penny is a small price to pay for every dollar you spend, they’ll likely tell you. A penny here and a penny there adds up to be a lot. The problem is that another cent will make it close to a dime in sales tax for every dollar you spend!

That’s right, if the so-called “Ceres 911 Emergency Response, Community Safety, Essential Services Measure” passes, Ceres will have the highest sales tax in the county. Raising the current sales tax rate in Ceres from 8.375 percent to 9.375 percent would make it the highest in the county. Shoppers in Modesto pay a sales tax of 8.875 percent while those in Hughson, Riverbank, Waterford, Newman and Patterson pay 7.87 percent.

Government prefers to go to the people during a general election to ask to dig deeper. That’s because more people vote and with a bigger pool of voters you always tend to get the progressives who don’t say no to any tax increase. But Californians have dug so deep it’s now a grave. Keeping up with more taxes on top of already expensive cost of living is killing us, which is why so many people are fleeing.

Ceres residents will have a chance this November to say NO NEW TAXES.

Councilmembers voted 4-1 to put a one cent sales tax increase on the ballot, saying “let the people decide.” Government always turns to taxpayers to shove more and more burden onto them. Californians are done with it. We can’t afford life here and people are leaving by the droves. A line needs to be drawn in the sand. No more taxes. Government must live within its means.

One way to control taxes would be to elect a new governor this November. The way California does business needs to change.

The state (read that as DEMOCRATS since they control both the state Assembly and state Senate and governor’s office) just passed more taxes on us. They are restructuring how the state taxes health insurance plans, which industry experts warn could raise premiums for privately insured individuals by approximately $100 annually.

They don’t stop but why should they because they are emboldened by the fact that they always win elections.

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A resident named Alan Guzman aptly noted how the city is titling the proposed tax hike measure the “Ceres 911 Emergency Response, Community Safety, Essential Services Measure” when it’s all General Fund money that could be spent elsewhere.

The tax, if approved, would bring in an estimated $9.4 million into city General Fund. While it’s true that the General Fund pays for police and fire, so does most other city expenses like parks and streets, planning and administration.

When you consider that the city of Ceres cut over $5.6 million from its new budget, the new tax would consume much of what needs to be backfilled.

Would it really be a tragedy if the city had to scale back services in light of the fact that citizens have had to scale back on their expenses like foregoing movies, dining out, vacations, clothing and what they spend at the grocery store?

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Governor Gavin Newsom appears to have settled on a political strategy that relies heavily on opposition to Donald Trump. While criticism of a former president may energize parts of the Democratic base, it does little to address the growing concerns Californians have about conditions in their own state.

California continues to struggle with some of the nation’s highest housing costs, persistent homelessness, rising insurance problems, and concerns over public safety and affordability. Most residents feel these challenges deserve more attention than national political theater. Yet Newsom often seems more eager to position himself as a leading angry anti-Trump voice than to explain why so many longstanding problems remain unresolved after years of Democratic control in Sacramento.

For blue state voters outside California, Trump’s name may be a convenient political target. For Californians paying high rents and unable to buy their own homes, facing expensive utility bills, or watching businesses leave the state, the focus on Trump is a distraction from issues that have not been remedied by his approach to government at home. We’ve had a governor playing world leader rather than staying at home fixing the problems here. Maybe that’s what Steve Hilton made it to the November ballot.

Presidential ambitions are built on accomplished records, not rhetoric. Newsom cannot point to a good record because he doesn’t have one. His is a failed administration that cannot be foisted upon at a national level.

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It was something I don’t believe I will see again. On Wednesday afternoon I went over to Bethel Retirement Center in Modesto to see Betty Taylor Baker for a third time in my life only this time it was for her 105th birthday party.

It had been five years since I saw her and I was happy to see her smiling and singing along to songs that she grew up singing and knowing.

Unfortunately as one would expect for a woman who just turned 105, age is taking its toll on Betty. She cannot walk and she weighs about 95 pounds. She cannot hear well anymore.

What a legacy this woman has left. She is a woman of great Christian faith who managed to get through the horrible time of losing her son to a tragic crash in 1970 that devastated the family and community.

Everyone should have a Betty Baker in their life for inspiration and mentoring.

This column is the opinion of Jeff Benziger, and does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Ceres Courier or 209 Multimedia Corporation. How do you feel about this? Let Jeff know at jeffb@cerescourier.com