Measure G Revisited - "Beating a Dead Horse"
Palm Springs ballot Measure G promised a half percent (0.5%) decrease in the local Telephone User Tax rate. In addition to the attractive tax decrease promise, the measure received lots of promotional support. The local newspaper gave its endorsement. The City Manager made the Fire and Police Chiefs available to promote the measure as an emergency services need. The Desert Sun produced more than a half dozen "news" stories clearly slanted in favor of the measure's passage. Is it any wonder it passed with 70% of the vote? One could wonder why it failed to receive 100% of the vote.
My citizen journalist efforts in opposition to Measure G included blogs, flyers, phone calls, a Valley Voice piece in the newspaper and a couple of interviews with small community publications representatives. My purpose was to alert voters to the "hidden agenda" behind Measure G and the deceptive manner in which it had been placed on the ballot and was being marketed by city officials. Here's a summary of that deception.
In his "Reflections on Elections" blog, Desert Sun editorial page writer James Folmer wrote "It's a little satisfying that a majority of voters supported every candidate we endorsed ... And .....they supported Palm Springs' Measure G, the telephone users utility tax." That bit of self-congratulatory and smug sense of satisfaction probably sums up the general attitude of those in managerial positions at The Desert Sun newspaper. It's sad they appear unable to comprehend that the 2,018 votes against Measure G probably came from those who ignored the newspaper and made themselves fully aware of what the issue was about. When the paper, and others speak of the need for informed voters, perhaps they should look to the folks who voted against Measure G as the ones who truly care about elections and what they represent. As for me, I continue to lament our sad fate to live in a community with only The Desert Sun as our local newspaper. We deserve better.
Bond Shands
Palm Springs
November 6, 2009
My citizen journalist efforts in opposition to Measure G included blogs, flyers, phone calls, a Valley Voice piece in the newspaper and a couple of interviews with small community publications representatives. My purpose was to alert voters to the "hidden agenda" behind Measure G and the deceptive manner in which it had been placed on the ballot and was being marketed by city officials. Here's a summary of that deception.
- The City of Palm Springs has been illegally taxing cell and cable phones and it recently became clear they would soon be required to discontinue those collections and refund the back taxes. The ballot measure was needed to legalize the taxes and the back tax collections. The City also wished to update the Telephone User Tax ordinance to cover more phone products, to use the Emergency Services Fee for employee salaries and other general fund purposes, to add a provision for automatic annual tax increases, and to automatically apply the tax to new telephone technologies as they come on the market. None of this "hidden agenda" was adequately disclosed on the ballot or in the official ballot information mailed to registered voters. In order to get Measure G on the ballot it was placed on the Consent Calendar of a City Council meeting where it passed unnoticed and with no debate or discussion. The official voter ballot information provided voters included a misnamed "Impartial Analysis" by the City Attorney and a favorable argument signed by the five City Council members. No argument against the measure was provided and no effort was made to obtain one or otherwise achieve a balanced presentation.
In his "Reflections on Elections" blog, Desert Sun editorial page writer James Folmer wrote "It's a little satisfying that a majority of voters supported every candidate we endorsed ... And .....they supported Palm Springs' Measure G, the telephone users utility tax." That bit of self-congratulatory and smug sense of satisfaction probably sums up the general attitude of those in managerial positions at The Desert Sun newspaper. It's sad they appear unable to comprehend that the 2,018 votes against Measure G probably came from those who ignored the newspaper and made themselves fully aware of what the issue was about. When the paper, and others speak of the need for informed voters, perhaps they should look to the folks who voted against Measure G as the ones who truly care about elections and what they represent. As for me, I continue to lament our sad fate to live in a community with only The Desert Sun as our local newspaper. We deserve better.
Bond Shands
Palm Springs
November 6, 2009
Posted by Administrator at 11/6/2009 10:01 AM 
Categories: Opinion
Tags: Palm Springs City Council The Desert Sun
Categories: Opinion
Tags: Palm Springs City Council The Desert Sun
I listened to what you said and tried to share the info where ever I went. My whole family voted against it. Thanks.
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