Palm Springs, California.  Proposition  J, on the November election ballot in Palm Springs, will ask voters to approve a new city ordinance hiking the local sales tax rate by an additional one percent (1%). The ordinance is a fairly straightforward piece of legislation easily described on the ballot form. The following is a ballot form example that completely covers the salient points in the ordinance. 

EXAMPLE OF A STRAIGHTFORWARD BALLOT STATEMENT 

The example above, or anything like it, will not appear on the ballot form! Instead Palm Springs city officials have crafted a deceptive ballot statement that is intended to confuse. In their example below none of the underlined and italicized portions appear in the new sales tax ordinance! The shopping list of possible uses for sales tax funds is intended to distract and possibly deceive. Tested key words, such as police, fire, library, etc., have been employed to garner the support of voters who may not realize none of the phrases are in the ordinance and there’s no guarantee any funds will be used for such purposes. The list could also include salaries, restoration of budget cutbacks and higher city council member salaries - all would qualify for funding from new sales tax revenues. However, the latter group - salaries, etc. - would probably find little favor with taxpayers and therefore remain off the list. 

EXAMPLE OF THE DECEPTIVE BALLOT STATEMENT 

Once again, none of the underlined portions in the Deceptive Ballot Statement appear in the new sales tax ordinance, and yet that is the statement the Palm Springs city council has approved to appear as Proposition J on the ballot. The only difference between the format shown here and that which appears in the ordinance is the use of italics and underlining for illustration purposes. No italics or underlining appear on the statement voters will see on their ballot form.

City officials know that asking taxpayers to approve new taxes rarely succeed unless tied to a generally acknowledged need or presented in a way that confuses voters about the real meaning of what is being asked of them. Loading a ballot statement with language that implies an act or result that does not exist has long been practiced at the local level as a way to achieve voter approval of higher taxes. The practice may be deceptive but there appears to be no legal prohibition against it. The Proposition J ballot statement taxpayers will see in November is completely deceptive, and intentionally so, for city officials are determined to see that the measure is passed. 

Taxpayers should consider their Proposition J vote very carefully. If they approve a one percent (1%) sales tax hike it will remain on the books for at least twenty-five (25) years. The city plans to use sales tax revenue prospects to quickly raise an estimated $84 million from bond sales. The money will be deposited into the city’s general fund where it will be doled out for Desert Fashion Plaza development and other general purpose uses. The city will be on the hook for a $138 million payback (costs included) with no share in the developer’s profits from his fashion plaza city-subsidized investment. 

Bond Shands
Palm Springs, California

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