It’s called the Phone Tax Proposition S — and it’s being sold to the citizens of Los Angeles as a “tax savings” proposition. The L.A. City Council and Mayor Villar(aigosa) are falsely stating it will lower the city’s existing telephone users’ utility tax from 10% to 9%. Don’t believe any of this bunk.

City council rushed this measure on to the February 5th Presidential Primary ballot because the current 10% phone tax has been declared illegal as it is in violation of Prop. 218 – the City did not get voter approval for the imposition of the tax. The city has spent over $5 million to get this onto the ballot.

It’s another case of politicians dishonesty by not disclosing the facts; A yes vote will make the (new) 9% phone tax LEGAL.

A NO VOTE ENDS THIS TAX COMPLETELY.

The tax raises $270 million yearly, about 4% of the $6.7 billion L.A. budget. Television commercials featuring Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Douglas Barry and LAPD Chief William J. Bratton, warn us the loss of the tax revenue would seriously harm the city’s ability to provide public safety. More lies and bunk.

The city needs to reduce its budget by 4% and cutback on the pork. According to Walter Moore a candidate for mayor, the city wastes over $2.2 billion of its budget — that’s 33%. That amount divided by 445,763 people who voted in the March 2005 election equals a cost of $4,949 per voter. The details are here.

The Los Angeles Times supports the tax (here). It also details how special interest groups — the city unions which just got healthy pay raises as well as wealthy developers who have been rewarded with downtown mega-projects have contributed $2.6 million for the “yes” campaign. You can read the details of these kickbacks here.

STOP THE ILLEGAL TAX

VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION S

Posted: 1900PT 01/25/07
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