Vote NO on Palm Springs Ballot Measure “G”
 | Desert Observer's Page Palm Springs, CA. In 1996 voters amended the California constitution giving taxpayers the right to approve or reject new taxes. That taxpayer right is the principle issue behind stopping the effort of Palm Springs city officials to have voters pass ballot Measure "G". The City has been assessing and collecting utility taxes on Cell and Cable Phones. Taxpayers were never asked to approve or reject those taxes. The courts may soon invalidate unapproved utility taxes and those on the books at that time will have to end, with refunds going to all illegally-taxed cell-phone users a distinct possibility. |
Ballot Measure "G" has been crafted to validate taxes on Cell and Cable Phones, automatically extend taxes to new technologies, and provide for approval of a new Access Line Tax with automatic annual increases. Also included is a provision to retroactively validate the unapproved past tax collections. Its appearance on the ballot is highly deceptive. Voters are asked whether the telephone tax rate should be reduced from 5% to 4.5%. That's followed by mentioning "revise the method for calculating and collecting the telephone users' tax to reflect technological advances". Would any taxpayer reading that phrase realize they're being asked to approve taxes on Cell and Cable Phones, etc.?
The voter's Sample Ballot & Information Pamphlet includes a misnamed "Impartial Analysis" from the City Attorney and an Argument In Favor of Measure "G" that's signed by all five Palm Springs city council members. The process of crafting the ballot information was done without publicity under the auspices of the city council. No opposing Argument Against Measure "G" appears and there's no evidence any taxpayer views or counter-arguments were requested. The result is a deceptive ballot measure that ignores impacts, distorts the facts and tramples on taxpayer rights to accurate information and full disclosure.
The presentation of Measure "G" is misleading - some might assert fraudulent - for it's a classic "bait and switch" tactic. The measure uses as "bait" a promise of a half percent decrease in the tax rate. The "switch" is that voters are not being clearly told they're giving up their right to have unapproved taxes on phones stopped and their right to refunds for previously collected taxes. Their yes vote will also validate unapproved taxes and a new Access Line Tax with automatic increases.
The principle issue raised here is whether taxpayers should agree to having the Palm Springs city council steal their right to decide whether to approve or reject new taxes and taxes on new circumstances. The job of city officials is to be honest, fair and straightforward in their dealings with the public. Their obscurely worded ballot Measure "G" presentation does not rise to such standards.
Vote NO on ballot Measure "G" - send a message to the City Council members and their advisors that new taxes must have public input, an effort to show pros and cons and transparency. A strategy based on deception and voter manipulation is never acceptable.
Bond Shands
Palm Springs
Click the following to view and download a copy of the flyer.
Posted by Administrator at 10/12/2009 6:09 AM 
Categories: Opinion
Tags: Palm Springs City Council Ballot Measure "G"
Categories: Opinion
Tags: Palm Springs City Council Ballot Measure "G"
Thank you for your article in Tuesday's Desert Sun and exposing Measure G for the deceptively worded measure that it is.
I do not mind paying my fair share of taxes to support Palm Springs, where I live, but I do not appreciate a deceptive worded measure to make me pay those taxes.
I am sure this measure will fail, no one wants to pay more taxes today, and once people find out that this is actually a tax increase for most people, they will vote against it out of principle.
Our job now it to make people aware that it is a tax increase not reduction.
Thank you again,
Art Mensor
Palm Springs, CA
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