Palm Springs Measure "G" is a new Cell Phone Tax
 | Desert Observer's Page Palm Springs, CA. Measure "G" on the Nov. 3, 2009 ballot in Palm Springs is being marketed as a 5% to 4.5% reduction in the telephone utility tax. What's not being stated is that the 4.5% tax will then be levied on CELL PHONES, on all new telephone technologies, and the existing emergency response fee tax will be subject to automatic increases. |
The measure deserves to be defeated because of its deceptive marketing. The sample ballot pamphlet contains an "Impartial Analysis of Measure 'G'" by City Attorney Douglas Holland. How is it that the City Attorney, who crafted the measure, is able to provide an "Impartial Analysis". The mayor and city council members all signed a deceptive "Argument in Favor of Measure 'G'". Neither the analysis nor the argument mention CELL PHONES, or the tax on new telephone technologies, or the automatic increases for the emergency response fee.
The ballot statement says "Shall an ordinance be adopted to reduce the City's telephone users' tax from 5% to 4.5%". With no mention of the other taxes the ordinance will impose, the voter is being left to believe they're voting for a tax decrease. It's simply not true! Passage of the amendment will serve to increase taxes.
The issue is not so much one of a tax increase, it's the deceptive method being employed to get the measure passed. City government has a duty to be open, honest, direct and forthcoming in its actions and communications. The city's arguments advancing Measure "G" are deceptive, indirect, less than forthcoming and amount to little more than bait and switch tactics. Tempting voters with the prospect of a tax reduction that secretly subjects them to greater taxes, is simply unethical and a shameful action being perpetrated by Palm Springs city officials on an unsuspecting public. Such unethical actions should serve to cause the defeat of the measure at the polls.
Please help spread the word that Measure "G" should be defeated. City Hall officials need to learn voters must to be treated with honesty and respect by their elected and appointed government officials.
Vote NO on Measure "G".
Bond Shands
Palm Springs
September 26, 2009
ADDENDUM (posted 09/27/2009)
Palm Springs city officials argue that what I refer to as a new CELL PHONE tax is not, because it's one they've previously been collecting. My response is to point out such taxes are not allowed without voter approval and that approval hasn't previously been done here. Measure "G" is the first time voters are being asked whether they agree to the CELL PHONE tax they've been paying.
Palm Springs, along with many other California cities, has been illegally collecting taxes on cell phone bills without voter approval. The California state constitution requires voter approval for any new tax or the extension of any existing tax to new circumstances. Ballot Measure "G" in Palm Springs includes a provision to legalize the illegal collections and past practices. The measure reads, as follows: "ratify and approve past collection of the telephone users' tax and emergency response fee." If passed, the city will get to keep all the money they've been collecting on Cell Phones, etc., and will also be free to extend the tax to "new circumstances" that may come into existence at some future date.
I consider Measure "G" a tax increase because it seeks to validate an illegal tax and apply it to past, present and future telephone technologies. And, since the measure is being marketed as a 1/2% utility tax decrease, I believe it to be deceptive and misleading.
For more information about the illegal tax issue click: "California Cities Keep Collecting Phone Tax, Ignoring Federal Law" or paste the following into your browser:
Posted by Administrator at 9/26/2009 8:18 PM 
Categories: Opinion
Tags: Palm Springs City Council Ballot Measure "G"
Categories: Opinion
Tags: Palm Springs City Council Ballot Measure "G"
Thank you for the catching the deception of the "analysis" and argument in favor the Measure G provided by the council. I also thought it is very deceptive. It states in bold letters that , "THIS IS NOT A TAX INCREASE. " Excuse me, but if I am paying 4.5% utility tax on my land line , and if "G" passes I will also need to pay an additional 4.5% on my cellular bill, that is a tax increase. I think they are playing a game of semantics. It's like the state legislature votes that sales tax will now be collected on food. Yes it is not a "new" tax, it's still only the sales tax, but it now covers more items and the amount I pay in sales tax goes up. For this reason , among others, I will not be voting for any incumbents on the council this year.
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I also was not aware of this.
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