Andrea Seastrand declared California’s taxfighter of the year
November 18, 2016
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) named former congresswoman and San Luis Obisop County resident, Andrea Seastrand, the “2016 Taxfighter of the Year.”
Seastrand currently serves as the president of the Central Coast Taxpayers Association (CCTA). She recently led the opposition to SLO County’s Measure J, a transportation tax initiative that is currently failing by a narrow margin.
As of Wednesday, 65.68 percent of voters had approved the sales tax initiative, and 34.32 percent voted against it. A 66.67 percent vote is required for it to pass. Some ballots still have not been counted.
In conjunction with HJTA, CCTA filed a complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission alleging SLO County and the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) illegally used taxpayer dollars to promote the sales tax initiative. The FPPC is currently investigating the matter.
An HJTA news release states Seastrand has been a vehement taxpayer advocate both in and out of office. Seastrand, who also served in the state Assembly, never voted for a tax increase, and following her time in Congress, the Los Angles Times called her the “promise keeper,” according to the press release.
“If anyone personifies the Jarvis ideal, it is Andrea Seastrand,” HJTA President Jon Coupal said.
HJTA is the namesake of Howard Jarvis, who led the effort to place California’s Proposition 13 on the 1978 ballot.
Seastrand said in a statement to CalCoastNews that she remembers taking part in that effort.
“I recall so many years ago, gathering signatures to place an initiative on the California statewide ballot to protect the forgotten taxpayers’ rights,” Seastrand said. “That initiative was Proposition 13, and was overwhelmingly approved by the California voters on June 6, 1978, and has been under assault ever since 1978 by the political powers-that-be at all levels of government. I will continue to do everything I can to fight to protect Proposition 13, as well as advancing the right of taxpayers on other tax issues.”
Seastrand said it is a great honor to be recognized as the 2016 taxfighter of the year.
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