How taxpayer-friendly is your local representative in Sacramento?
The results are in from the 2011 Legislative Report Card issued by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA), one of California’s oldest and most respected taxpayer advocacy organizations. Based on their legislative votes, San Diego Assemblymember Diane Harkey and Senator Joel Anderson received the highest “A” grades (96.3%) within the San Diego delegation!
The Report Card, which was based this year on the votes for 22 key bills relevant to taxpayer interests, is issued annually to raise public awareness to how elected officials are working (or not) for their constituents in the state capitol. These bills struck at the core fiscal issues that affect California’s working families and small business owners – tax code reform, government waste, and taxpayer rights on Election Day. It may not come as a surprise to many that the majority of state lawmakers received failing grades – 61 legislators received an “F” grade, and eight received a “D.” On a positive note, 26 were awarded an “A,” seven more than 2010.
Here’s how all San Diego elected officials scored this year:
- Diane Harkey – A
- Martin Garrick – A
- Nathan Fletcher – C
- Toni Atkins – D
- Brian Jones – A
- Marty Block – F
- Ben Hueso – D
- Joel Anderson – A
- Mark Wyland – B
- Christine Kehoe – F
- Juan Vargas – F
Compared to 2010, Harkey and Garrick maintain their “A” grades, and Kehoe keeps her “F.” Anderson improves from a “B” to an “A.” Block drops from a “D” to an “F,” Wyland drops from an “A” to a “B,” and Fletcher drops from an “A” to a “C.”
Clearly, there’s much room for improvement for our delegation. Though special interest groups are placing severe political pressure on our elected officials to raise fees and taxes and dilute taxpayer legal protections, it’s important to restate that taxpayer advocacy is a cause to be championed by Democrats as well as Republicans.
San Diegans should be proud of the tough fiscal leadership Assemblymember Harkey and Senator Anderson have given us in Sacramento – they are trustworthy taxpayer allies, and watchdogs for the public interest.
More information on the HJTA Legislative Report Card can be found here.