By Walter Moore, Candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles, http://www.waltermooreformayor.com/
Mayor Villaraigosa hopes to dupe voters into approving an unnecessary tax hike in a special election in February 2008. That's the bad news.
The good news is that your favorite candidate for mayor was officially selected yesterday to write the ballot argument against the proposed tax hike, which will be called "Proposition S."
This is terrific news, because it means our fellow voters will receive up to 300 words of truth about Proposition S. It should also translate into some great publicity for my campaign, insofar as I will be the "point man" for the opposition to Villaraigosa's tax hike. Plus, if we can stop Villaraigosa's well-funded political machine from passing this tax hike in February 2008, it will be that much easier to win the Mayoral election in March 2009.
Villaraigosa calls his tax hike, "The REDUCTION of Tax Rate and Modernization of Communications Users Tax ballot measure." In fact, however, Proposition S would INCREASE our taxes two ways:
First, Proposition S would restore an illegal phone tax hike the City imposed in 2003. The Superior Court struck down that tax hike in 2005 because the City imposed it without getting voters' approval, which is required under the State Constitution. Rather than comply with the law and the Superior Court's order, Villaraigosa kept collecting the illegal tax and spending the proceeds, and appealed the ruling. In May 2007, the Court of Appeals affirmed the Superior Court's decision. Voting "yes" would thus restore the illegal tax hike that the courts struck down.
Second, Proposition S would impose NEW taxes on Internet usage, wireless communications and any other telecommunications not already taxed. That's what they mean by "modernization:" tax you for using the Internet. So when you "fire up" that laptop at Starbucks, or you download that file from your work computer to your home computer, get out your checkbook, because Villaraigosa wants you to pay him for the privilege.
The City, by the way, does not need the money. Revenues have skyrocketed for each of the past several years. We don't need a new tax. We need a new mayor -- one who won't squander your money. More about that later.
The good news is that your favorite candidate for mayor was officially selected yesterday to write the ballot argument against the proposed tax hike, which will be called "Proposition S."
This is terrific news, because it means our fellow voters will receive up to 300 words of truth about Proposition S. It should also translate into some great publicity for my campaign, insofar as I will be the "point man" for the opposition to Villaraigosa's tax hike. Plus, if we can stop Villaraigosa's well-funded political machine from passing this tax hike in February 2008, it will be that much easier to win the Mayoral election in March 2009.
Villaraigosa calls his tax hike, "The REDUCTION of Tax Rate and Modernization of Communications Users Tax ballot measure." In fact, however, Proposition S would INCREASE our taxes two ways:
First, Proposition S would restore an illegal phone tax hike the City imposed in 2003. The Superior Court struck down that tax hike in 2005 because the City imposed it without getting voters' approval, which is required under the State Constitution. Rather than comply with the law and the Superior Court's order, Villaraigosa kept collecting the illegal tax and spending the proceeds, and appealed the ruling. In May 2007, the Court of Appeals affirmed the Superior Court's decision. Voting "yes" would thus restore the illegal tax hike that the courts struck down.
Second, Proposition S would impose NEW taxes on Internet usage, wireless communications and any other telecommunications not already taxed. That's what they mean by "modernization:" tax you for using the Internet. So when you "fire up" that laptop at Starbucks, or you download that file from your work computer to your home computer, get out your checkbook, because Villaraigosa wants you to pay him for the privilege.
The City, by the way, does not need the money. Revenues have skyrocketed for each of the past several years. We don't need a new tax. We need a new mayor -- one who won't squander your money. More about that later.
For now, we can chalk this up as a big victory. Without having to spend a dime of your generous contributions, we will be able to reach every single registered voter in the City of Los Angeles. That almost -- but doesn't quite -- make up for Villaraigosa's having spent $5 million of your tax money to add Proposition S to the special presidential primary election in February, rather than waiting for the next regular election in November.
