Even L.A. revolting against taxes
March 10, 2013
By John Seiler
The big news in California the past week was not the mayor’s race in Los Angeles. It was the defeat in that election of the half-cent tax increase, Measure A, by 55 percent to 45 percent
Just a week ago, polls showed the tax winning. People seemed to be supporting increasing the city sales-tax rate to 9.5 percent, which would have been close the tops in the state, supposedly to pay for increased public safety. By contrast, neighboring Orange County gouges at 8 percent.
Instead, voters seemed to understand that the money would go to bloated city pensions. That the city should reform pensions and cut waste instead of hitting the taxpayers again.
And it comes just months after L.A. County voters defeated Measure J, a half-cent tax for transportation, 66 percent to 34 percent.
So voters in one of the most liberal, pro-tax, Democratic Party areas in the country defeated taxes that would have added one cent to their sales tax, raising it to 10 percent.
Maybe there’s a little hope California is not as much Taxifornia as was feared.
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Let Us all hope the rebellion continues.
They just cut off their noses to spite their faces. Every penny spent in town goes to the sales tax. Why not let the visitors help.
how about the new Ca. state lumber fee ??? – 1% added to the cost of wood, or wood by products you purchace with in the state –
( don’t remember voting on this one !!)
Now that the tax payers have voted down the tax increase, don’t expect to see any potholes filled anytime soon. Just go down to the local donut shop and you’ll find all the road crews. They ain’t doing nothing till they get their 100 grand pension.
Hondo….
THE USC-LATIMES POLL SHOWED THE 1/2 CENT TAx LOSING BY MORE THAN 10%. . INSTEAD IT LOST BY 10 %.
JOHN WALSH
P.A.R.T. (PROGRESSIVES AGAINST RIDICULOUS TAXATION
OMG………this is a freaking miracle!!!! Maybe there is hope yet.
The difference is not that people in LA are turning against taxes, but simply the difference in who voted in November 2012 and March 2013. City elections like Tuesday’s draw a smaller, older, more conservative voter base, than national general elections do. Also, your article doesn’t make it clear that while Measure A (sales tax), a city measure, did indeed lose by a vote of 45% yes to 55% no, last week, the vote on November 2012’s Measure J (transportation), a county measure, was 66.11% yes, to 33.89% no, falling just short of the two-thirds needed. It failed because of the two-thirds requirement, not because the public was against it. Only a fraction over a third were against it.