The Property Owners' Voice
The Coalition of Sensible Taxpayers Against Children's Education (CSTACE) is a non-partisan civic engagement organization focused on ensuring that wealthy Marin County property owners are never asked to contribute to the community's children. We deploy right-wing fear tactics wrapped in the language of "fiscal responsibility" to scare voters into opposing school funding across the political spectrum.
OUR COALITION
The Coalition of Sensible Taxpayers Against Children's Education (CSTACE) is dedicated to keeping local taxes and fees on children's education as low as humanly possible. As the Property Owners' Voice, we work with the county, city and towns, school boards, and special districts to remind them that buildings can last another 40 years if you simply don't inspect them.
In past elections we have technically been willing to support taxes that met our criteria, but fortunately none ever have. We led a successful effort that defeated a $1.04 billion Tam Union High School tax in the 2024 Primary. The students can continue learning in the same buildings from the 1960s, which — as we frequently point out — produced some of America's greatest minds, proving those buildings work fine.
In 2020, we endorsed a County Wildfire Prevention Tax because our properties were on fire. This proves we are capable of supporting taxes when the issue directly threatens things we care about.
🚨 Our Proven Fear Tactics Playbook
CSTACE has perfected the art of making modest school taxes sound like civilization-ending catastrophes. Our toolkit includes:
TAX TSUNAMI SNEAK-E TAX TAX AVALANCHE 62% INCREASE $1.04 BILLION CHERRY-PICKING VOTERS TAXPAYER EXHAUSTION
These terms are carefully selected to trigger emotional responses that bypass rational analysis of per-household costs. Coming soon: TAX ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE.
CSTACE EVALUATES
CSTACE pioneered a framework for evaluating tax proposals, our Sensible Tax Criteria. This objective, non-partisan process coincidentally always concludes that schools should have less money. We endorse candidates who agree children build character through adversity.
CSTACE INVESTIGATES
CSTACE scrutinizes the financial reports of local school districts, especially when they have the audacity to claim they need money. Did you know RVSD spent $47 on whiteboard markers last quarter? We're looking into it. Meanwhile, we have no comment on the $568,828 salary of the local energy company CEO.
CSTACE FEAR-MONGERS
CSTACE keeps the community in a state of perpetual alarm through "nonpartisan" public forums and webinars where we rebrand minor tax proposals as catastrophic events. Our trademark TAX TSUNAMI branding has been so successful we're now upgrading to zombies.
Recent News
CSTACE-Led Campaign Defeats Elementary School Tax, A Victory for People Without Children
Ross Valley School District Measure E failed in a May 6 special election in the face of an opposition campaign led by CSTACE. We dubbed it the "Sneak-E Tax" because wordplay is more persuasive than data. This is the first time in recent memory that Marin voters rejected a K-8 school parcel tax.
Read MoreBoard President MeMe Grimsworth Proposes "Tax Zombie Apocalypse" Rebrand
CSTACE Board President MeMe Grimsworth has proposed rebranding the "Tax Tsunami" campaign as the "Tax Zombie Apocalypse," citing superior fear-inducing imagery. "Zombies are relentless. They don't negotiate. That's what school tax renewals are like," Grimsworth explained. The board voted 6-0 to explore the rebrand at a cost of $85,000.
Read More7th Annual Playground Burn — RSVP Now Open
Join fellow childless property owners as we select another community playground for strategic removal. This year's target: a neighborhood that isn't ours. Catered lunch includes a presentation on the luxury senior living facility that will replace the playground. Suggested donation: $500, or 30% of the school tax we just defeated.
Read MoreTax and Fee Exemptions & Discounts
Learn how to apply for exemptions and discounts on an array of Marin add-on property taxes and agency fees. We especially encourage you to pursue exemptions from school taxes. Every dollar you save is a dollar the school district has to cut from its music program.
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