Measure U, on the November 5 ballot in Moreno Valley, is promoted by city officials as a “one-cent” sales tax. You ask, “What’s in a penny?” In fact, Measure U urges a one-percentage point increase from the current sales tax of 7.75% to 8.75%, an increase of 12.9%. In other words, the tax adds one more sales tax dollar to every $100 purchase of taxable items. Those include just about everything we buy, such as fast food, toasters, refrigerators, lawnmowers, automobiles, and more. This is just what we need in these times of high inflation! Also, take a close look at the ballot description and how the new tax money is to be spent. It starts by listing appealing programs like maintaining 911 response times and robbery/burglary prevention, but buried at the very end is a suspiciously vague item planned for our tax dollars: “general government use.” The ballot measure makes no promise that the majority of funds will not be used for “general government use” instead of crime control and street repair. Measure U is aptly named: U for Unsatisfactory. I urge a No vote. Brian Thiebaux, Moreno Valley Related Articles Letters to the Editor | Letter: Susan Shelley got it wrong in interpreting ’13 Keys to the White House’ for Trump Letters to the Editor | Letter: Trump is the fighter America needs Letters to the Editor | Letter: Ronald Reagan actually was great, Larry Wilson and Max Boot are wrong Letters to the Editor | Letter: Trump exaggerates when he speaks, but he has the right ideas to fix America’s problems Letters to the Editor | Letter: Trump supporters like his way of speaking but don’t want us to take him seriously