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Pismo Beach council sends sales tax to voters

July 3, 2014

pismoThe Pismo Beach City Council voted Tuesday to place a renewal of the city’s half-cent sales tax on the November ballot. [KEYT]

Pismo Beach voters initially approved of the half-cent tax in 2008, and it is set to expire at the end of March. If a majority of voters support the measure in November, the tax will extend for 12 years.

The city raises about $1.3 million annually in revenue from the tax. Though the money goes to the general fund, city officials say all of the money goes to infrastructure projects.

“I don’t like higher taxes myself, however 100 percent of this tax goes to our infrastructure improvement,” Councilman Ed Waage said. “Not one dime for salaries or benefits or anything else.”

Waage said the city is trying to extend the tax for 12 years to better position itself to float a bond.

The cities of Atascadero and San Luis Obispo will also have half-cent sales tax measures on the ballot in November.


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National version of this infrastructure problem and the “no taxes’ group think.

LINK


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The problem is how current taxes are being spent and budget construction.


When you have 75% or more of the budgets being used on excessive salaries, early 90% retirements, and luxury benefits, it leaves inadequate funding for infrastructure and maintenance. Promises have been made that taxpayers and fixed income seniors cannot afford after the 2007 recession.


It is time to develop a more rational spending budget plan that builds around current revenues that continue to grow each year as we all know when we receive our property tax bills or with rental increases.


The City Staff and Elected Officals are living in the past and completely isolated from today’s economic conditions that working families, fixed income seniors, those just getting started, and the working poor are faced with each day as we have to make the hard choices.


Just like with the defeat of the Police Tax and Fire Tax Bailout, this New 12 Year Tax Increase will Fail.


Just like In Detroit, Stockton, San Bernadino, Vallejo, and San Jose, many cities are pushing themselves closer to bankruptcy. We need to Vote NO and learn to live with our existing growing funding levels.


Register-Vote-Inform-Change- November


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No. Just no. Plan for and live within your budget. QUIT SPENDING and we will not need these new taxes.


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Tax the RICH, Don’t tax the poor. Sales taxes are the most regressive. they tax people that don’t have a choice but to spend on necessities.


The idle rich have been skating by…cheating the rest of us with loopholes and lobbyist bribes !

THEY are the REAL welfare cheats !


You want fairness ? TAX the RICH !


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Is this sarcasm? Or are you really this delusional?


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It’s not the sales taxes the rich escape, everyone needs those necessities as you put it, so sales taxes are fair but you are right the rich have many loopholes and lobbyists to help them avoid other taxes. End those and then we could talk about increasing taxes on the rest of us.


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The Top 50 Percent of All Taxpayers Paid 97 Percent of All Income Taxes; the Top 5 Percent Paid 57 Percent of All Income Taxes; and the Top 1 Percent Paid 35 Percent of All Income Taxes in 2011.


The average tax rate for the bottom 50 percent of taxpayer increased from 2.37 percent in 2010 to 3.13 percent in 2011, but still remains lower than the average of 3.4 percent since 2001. This increase in tax rate is likely due to the expiration of the Making Work Pay tax credit. The top 50 percent’s average income tax rate increased from 13.05 percent to 13.76 percent.


Those “rich” are totally are skating by! “You want fairness? TAX the RICH!” — Another excellent slowerfaster opinion! I suppose carrying 57% of the burden for the top 5% is not fair enough. I suppose asking the bottom FIFTY (50) percent to carry 3.13% is too much. Totally unfair, right?


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Small correction: the bottom 50% tax group’s share of the burden is 2.89% (the 3.13% is their average rate).


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Tax Independence Day- So now the propaganda spin begins !


Have used so much of existing taxes for Salaries, Early Retirements, Luxury Benefit

Packages.


So we will use New “8” YearTax Increase for projects that should have paid with existing taxes.

Then we will slow walk you to a New Bond Tax Increase.


Give away more Tax Money for our projects.


The more the council members talk, the more the $250,000 City manager writes& talks,

then send us those union mailers in the mail and it will make our job that much easier to

just Vote No on current and future Tax Increases and Elect Council members in

November.


November-Register-Vote-Inform-Change-Believe


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This is just another bailout for the irresponsible, organized-crime thugs of the public-sector unions.


Reason Institute: Why I Am Leaving California

http://reason.org/news/show/why-i-am-leaving-california?fb_action_ids=305455646297484&fb_action_types=og.likes


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Vote yes. Any and all. It is more than sickening how streets and public areas have deteriorated the past 40 years. Hoarding pennies in order to “punish” your own government is like denying clothing to your family because some member misspent. Like the Iraq war, “mistakes were made”. Get over it and lets pay your and my fair share.


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When your kid maxes out his credit cards do you pay the balance off and double his limit for him? You probably do.


Government will only be satisfied when they have 100% of everything and we will all have nothing.


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“and lets pay your and my fair share” Such thinking is dellusional. You must be one of the city council lackies.


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Let’s see … Pismo just gave away $900,000 and now they want more of our money through a sales tax increase. Later, they plan to go into debt by floating a bond. Enough! We are taxed to the hilt. Vote NO on all these tax increases that will be on the November ballot. Soon you will be supporting government with your whole income and there will be nothing left for you.


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