Regarding the recent Board of Supervisors decision (2/6/2018) to put a 1.5-percent sales tax increase to a vote on the June ballot: I was one of those mentioned in the news who received a phone call, asking for my input on budget decisions.

I quickly recognized this was a "push-poll."

A push-poll seems to ask people's opinion, but the real purpose is to manipulate. Each question is designed to lead the respondent toward a destination-answer. When successful, a push-poll makes participants believe that this answer is their own idea.

First, it was explained to me that resources are limited, and I was asked which county services I least wanted to see cut. I waited for the words that would tell me what this phone call was really about. Finally: "Would you support a 1.5 cent sales tax increase?"

Nope. Absolutely not.

I joined the 34 percent who resisted being manipulated into saying "Yes."

I am against the proposed hike because sales taxes are regressive and hurt people who can least afford to pay.

The two most regressive taxes are sales tax and wage tax. Wage taxes have risen steadily over the past several decades, while taxes on the wealthy have decreased.

In 1960, 35 percent of all taxes were paid by corporations, while less than 10 percent came from wages.

Today, those numbers have flipped – 35 percent of all tax revenue comes from wages, while less than 10 percent of the total is paid by corporations.

That's 40 years of the largest transfer of wealth in history – trillions of dollars from the pockets of the paycheck-earning classes into the tax havens of the wealthy. Working folks keep being taxed more, while services decline.

After watching 40 years of trickle-down failure, I do not believe that the solution to a budget shortage is to raise taxes on those who can least afford to pay more.

The working poor, people on disability, seniors on fixed incomes … In California, Lake County has the highest percentage of people living in poverty. These people will be most hurt by a sales tax increase.

Bernie Sanders said, "Enough is Enough."

And, Lake County is Bernie Country!

In the 2016 primaries, the number of Lake County votes for Bernie dwarfed the number for either Trump or Clinton.

Bernie ran on policies that would help most Americans. His revolution continues today, as hundreds of citizens have taken up Bernie's call to action, running for seats at local, state and federal level. Real people, running for real change.

Lake County's Our Revolution chapter endorses candidates for local, state and federal office in 2018.

The June 5 primary is an opportunity to vote for positive change, to vote for a better future.

Our Revolution's Lake County chapter meets the second Thursday every month at 6:30 p.m at Stone Fire Pizza, 383 Lakeport Blvd. in Lakeport. Our next meeting is March 8. We welcome all party affiliations.

Find out how different things could be, if politicians actually represented us, the people. Help restore government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Please visit www.ruralvalues.org to learn more about Lake County's progressive movement.

Deb Baumann lives in Upper Lake, Calif.