One strong argument we tax fighters will make against Governor Brown’s insane income & sales tax increase combo is that it’s “a High Speed Rail tax.” Brown has made clear that he wants to go ahead with this HSR madness, regardless of facts. IF voters approve the tax, he and the other HSR folks will continue down this track.
Stated differently, if the voters do NOT approve this tax, there simply is no way for the HSR train to depart the station. More pressing needs preclude the state spending more money on HSR.
Unfortunately (for our tax fighting efforts), I suspect the Big Spenders will recognize that they’ll have to defend HSR in in the upcoming tax campaign, and that’s a sure loser. So I am pretty confident that the Governor will “suspend” further funding of HSR.
Unstated is the fact that if the tax passes, they Governor and crew will “revisit” this suspension. And we all know how that would go.
Here’s a pretty good opinion piece opposing this HSR project, written by reporter-columnist Daniel Borenstein, the bane of public employee pensions in the San Jose area. If you go to the link, you’ll find other fine columns he has written. Good man.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/daniel-borenstein/ci_19459031