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State tax increases opposed in Simi
Proposal not an answer to deficit, GOP leaders say
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More from Local NewsBringing the point home with a giant ATM, Republican political leaders held a media event Monday in Simi Valley to oppose the idea of tax increases to help pay down the state's $15 billion deficit.
Standing in front of a 12-foot gray and black inflatable automated teller machine outside the East County Courthouse, Ventura County Supervisor Peter Foy, Assemblyman Cameron Smyth, R-Santa Clarita, and Tony Strickland, Republican candidate for the 19th Senate District, took turns saying the state needs to tighten its belt before turning to residents for more money.
"California legislators need to stop treating taxpayers like their own personal ATM machine," said Foy, a Simi Valley resident and state chairman of the taxpayer advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, which organized the event. A handful of supporters was there.
Foy said that since 1980, the state's population has grown 51 percent while the state budget has grown 180 percent.
"That's three times the rate of population. (State legislators) need to start spending within their means," Foy said.
Monday was the latest stop of about 20 on a statewide anti-tax campaign tour that started May 14 on the steps of the state Capitol and will end at the same spot June 11. At the end of the campaign, Foy and others will present an anti-tax increase petition to legislators and the governor, which residents have been signing around the state.
"Government spending is out of control," said David Spady, the state director of the taxpayer advocacy group.
Spady said lawmakers should not consider raising taxes while people are losing their homes and struggling with high food and gas prices.
The ideas legislators have offered — like increasing sales taxes or increasing taxes on lottery winners — is not the solution, Strickland said.
"A lot of people can't make ends meet," said Strickland. "People have to choose between a gallon of gas or a gallon of milk."
Just like a family on a tight budget that has to sacrifice dinners out and movies, legislators need to get the state's "fiscal house" in order, Strickland said.
Smyth said some solutions include collecting delinquent taxes, taking the lottery private and selling off excess state property.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his May revised budget, had proposed borrowing against future lottery revenue as a way to close the budget gap. If that failed — the proposal would require voter approval — Schwarzenegger said he would ask the Legislature to approve a temporary 1 cent state sales tax increase.
Strickland thinks one of the first places the state can save some money is on any of the 14 state boards and commissions that meet once a month and pay up to $100,000. The positions are usually held by former legislators, or "political insiders," he said.
Residents are asked to fill out online petitions requesting the governor and state lawmakers do not raise taxes to cover the state's deficit.
The advocacy group and the inflatable ATM will next head to San Bernardino and then San Diego. For information go to: http://www.DontTaxCA.com.
Posted by tsetsaf on June 3, 2008 at 9:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Seems like an excellent election year move.
Posted by Poppa on June 3, 2008 at 9:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Foy, Smyth and Strickland are not leaders, they're clowns! These guys have supported Bush and his agenda all the way, thanks to these clowns are economy is in the dumps, we are all paying over $4 a gallon for gas and we waste 12 billion a month in Iraq. What have these 3 clowns done for us? Nothing. What have they done to us? Plenty! If you like the way things are going listen to these three clowns!
Posted by Poppa on June 3, 2008 at 9:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry, meant "our" not "are".
Posted by SimiProud on June 3, 2008 at 12:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Regardless of what you think of those "clowns" the state of California needs to STOP SPENDING MONEY on non essential things like endowment of the arts, etc.
They also need to stop touching the essentials like education, police, fire, seniors, etc.
Heed the warning Sacramento! Get your act together and stop serving the special interest groups or we will replace you with people who will. This goes for Dems and Reps alike.
Posted by Poppa on June 3, 2008 at 1:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Check the facts, these clowns get all their campaign money from special interests like big oil, gambling and tobacco companies, all from outside their districts and state. They are puppets!
Posted by UncleRico on June 3, 2008 at 3:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
In other news, after feeling that they had squeezed maximum mileage of the their first political stunt, Tony Strickland and Camreon Smyth pulled out a 15 foot inflatable credit card in order to champion the GOP's plan to close the State's budget shortfall by borrowing. And the predominantly Republican crowd went wild.
Posted by pauljheron on June 3, 2008 at 10:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Using the ATM metaphor for this public appearance is quite apropos in a time when increasing taxes upon this electorate leaves all of us feeling mugged while trying to get our own dollars. Aside from those throwing disparaging names and unsupported "facts" regarding anyone who requests more fiscal responsibility from our governments, it would seem more productive to consider proposals from anyone who can find ways to more efficiently use the taxpayers' dollars and minimize the mandated money taken from our diminishing personal savings. As all of the citizens are forced to learn to tighten their personal budgets due to harsh economic conditions, we should insist that our government representatives more efficiently employ the taxes that they already receive from all of us.
Notwithstanding their political backgrounds or the grudges it appears some may carry against them, we should commend Tony Strickland, Peter Foy, and Cameron Smyth and any others for developing and advancing a proposal to limit taxes and more efficiently use the dollars already allotted to the state government. Please continue to think up more plans to limit our taxes and employ them more effectively.
Posted by SimiProud on June 4, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well put pauljheron.
Posted by finnmcgowan on June 5, 2008 at 10:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"That's three times the rate of population."
That's a clever deceit, Peter Foy.
The correct way to calculate parity would include inflation. What cost $1 in 1980 would now cost $2.82, an increase of 182%. So, adjusted for inflation, our state budget is the same size today as it was in 1980.
If you want to bring in the 50% population increase, then our per-capita spending, adjusted for inflation, is 66% of what it used to be in 1980.
This took me ten minutes of research. Anna Bakalis/Star, can't you do fact-checking like this for us?
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