Skelton: taxtaxtaxtaxtaxtaxtaxtaxtaxtaxtaxtax

Jan. 17, 2013

By John Seiler

Here at CalWatchDog.com, I’ve chronicled L.A. Times columnist George Skelton’s tax obsession.

There he goes again:

“SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown wants to help inner-city schools at the expense of suburbanites. But there must be a better way to assist the disadvantaged than to trigger class warfare.

“And there is. It is to give school districts a better opportunity to raise their own tax revenue.

“That could involve reducing the voter threshold needed for levying parcel taxes from two-thirds to 55%.”

He doesn’t get it. If poor areas raise their taxes, that will drive away businesses, and take more money away from the businesses and people who stay — making the areas even more poor.

“One philosophical problem with the parcel tax is that it’s very regressive. The taxes aren’t levied based on value or wealth, such as with property or income. A parcel that holds a bank building is taxed the same as one with a peeling bungalow.”

One philosophical problem with “progressive” taxes is that they’re just an excuse for the government to enrich itself by robbing the successful. And one practical problem with “progressive” taxes is that the successful flee confiscatory taxes. Look what’s happening in France, where actors and others are fleeing the new 75 percent top income tax rate.

“Another idea being mulled over in Capitol backrooms is to permit school districts to also levy other types of taxes with voter approval — such as a sales tax. The Legislature could allow that simply by passing a bill on a majority vote.

“But the sales tax still would need to be approved by local voters on a two-thirds vote. To reduce that threshold to 55% would require a state constitutional amendment — necessitating a two-thirds legislative vote and approval of the statewide electorate.”

Skelton is the Energizer Bunny of tax increasers: He doesn’t let up. It doesn’t matter how badly the government is run, he’s for more of it. California’s schools are among the worst in the country, yet he wants to give them more money.

And that’s aside from the indoctrination.