San Diego groups fund Measure B sales tax hike for health and child care

Several San Diego-based organizations and individuals are backing Measure B, a proposed half-cent countywide sales tax increase, Voice of San Diego reported. The measure aims to fund health care, child care, sewage solutions for the Tijuana River, public safety, and food benefits.

A child care nonprofit supported by the Bay Area Heising-Simons Action Fund is a major contributor to the campaign, which has raised over $3.4 million as of late October. Local philanthropists Mel Katz and Irwin Jacobs have also provided substantial financial support through loans and donations.

Health care providers including Sharp and Scripps hospitals are concerned about federal Medicaid cuts and see Measure B as a way to help mitigate those impacts locally. The county's largest labor union and a union for home health care workers are also key supporters of the measure.

Measure B's funding would support a range of services important to San Diego residents, including expanding child care options and addressing environmental issues related to sewage in the Tijuana River.

The campaign's financial backing reflects a coalition of health care, labor, philanthropic, and nonprofit interests working together to address pressing community needs in San Diego County.