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New future for local taxation?

November 14, 2011

Scattered electoral successes last week by locally-initiated revenue measures may be signaling a willingness by California voters to tax themselves — if they hear the right justifications. [SanFranciscoChronicle]

Public agencies in varying jurisdictions across California, including counties, cities and school districts, earned enthusiastic support for creating new taxes, approving bonds or increasing or extending fees.

Most likely to succeed were measures impacting local public safety, fire and schools.

Michael Coleman of the League of California Cities said he also thought trust between agencies and citizens appears to be key to what may be an emerging trend.

“Despite tough times, if a local government runs an open and fair and honest budget process and maintains a level of trust and integrity with the community… then these things will pass,” Coleman said, referring to tax measures.

State voters approved 40 of 53 tax-increasing measures, Coleman said.

Data suggests that it is more likely that voters would vote to raise local taxes if they are convinced the money will benefit their own neighborhoods, and if they know the elected officials who would spend it.

A statewide tax increase might not fare as well next year partly because resulting revenue could be spent on virtually anything.


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I would have to question just how long the new taxes would be spent on their original intent. When you think about most user taxes gong elsewhere, no new taxes is the best way to get the cost of gov back to a service provided equation. The sad news is that local gov routinely applies for and receives grant funding to help their juristictions create new ordinaces that will yeild new revenue. By the time your complaint arrises, the answer is “it’s the law”.


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“Public agencies in varying jurisdictions across California, including counties, cities and school districts, earned enthusiastic support for creating new taxes, approving bonds or increasing or extending fees.”

————————————-


I almost spit out my coffee laughing when I read this.


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Seems all the usual suspects have weighed in after years of taking the pledge and downing the koolaid. Never give a penny or a portion of a penny to pay for the common good. Some of that money will go for something “against your principles”! You know, a lot of the food you eat or the air you breathe have things that you might not need or could actually harm you. But, you still have to eat and breathe. And, you still have to pay taxes. With prop 13 and two-thirds majority tax issues, you painted yourself and the rest of us into a corner. All us rats are going to drown together on the great ship California. At least we didn’t compromise.


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Just a new attempt to come in the back door and get additional funds to supplement pay raises and keep those benefits. I’ll have to agree with Georg Bush Sr. “read my lips, no new taxes.” Will government ever get it? We are tired of paying for their party.


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Reads like as if it was written by a government agent – trying to ensure job security.

They’re obviously trying to program us into taxing ourselves so they’re not held accountable, after all, we GAVE them our money. The thing is,most people are stupid enough to do it!!!


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“Most likely to succeed were measures impacting local public safety, fire and schools.”


…ah! The cash-cow of government largess! So many things are done “for the children” (or public safety) and then BAM! Misuse of funds, redirects to general funds, etc.


The Song Remains the Same.


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“Despite tough times, if a local government runs an open and fair and honest budget process and maintains a level of trust and integrity with the community… then these things will pass,” Coleman said, referring to tax measures.


Please show me one single instance, ever, anywhere of a governmental or public “open and fair and honest budget process”.


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The problem is that most — if not all the time — measures we vote for ‘good things’ release money into the general fund and not into restricted accounts where funds must go to the tasks for which they are intended.


Did our local lottery money go to education? Do any of our local bond measures go to what they were intended? When they remodeled the local San Luis Coastal’s Superintendent of schools office to … was it a million?… I don’t remember seeing this one the bond measure… nor would I have voted for the measure if I had seen all the ‘cosmetic’ changes that did not improve education. Where is SLO Coastal ranked in California? the bottom?


We should be paying for ‘performance’ and not for ‘effort.’… and I don’t mean teaching to the test.


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Move all public employees to Social Security. No tax increases required thereafter.


If SS is good enough for the public, it is good enough for the public servant.


.


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I agree 100%. If they want better they should have to pay for it themselves just like the rest of us do.


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