Let’s start here; the Republican Party is the “no new taxes” party. The glaring reason is well, obvious; the federal, state, and local governments collect plenty of taxes already. The secondary reasons are: governments are horrible stewards of money and they have too much power over our lives.
Thus, the Republican Party is the “no new taxes” party. Nationally, we ask our federal candidates to sign a pledge to oppose new taxes. Statewide, we ask our statewide and legislative candidates to sign that pledge. Locally, our standing policy is “no new taxes”. If you run as an endorsed Republican, especially in San Diego County, the compact with the voters is that you will OPPOSE any new taxes.
A few Republicans on SANDAG think they have a cute way around this compact; they intend to approve a proposed tax ballot initiative. Rather than do what we elected them to do, they cloak their support for higher taxes in the “it’s not supposed to be MY call…let the VOTERS decide“. Poppycock. The voters “decided” when we elected you to office with the understanding that you would oppose any attempts at new taxation.
In a representative form of government, we elect people to make decisions about taxation and spending. If you are an elected Republican in San Diego County, voters expect that you will OPPOSE any and all efforts to raise taxes.
Break that compact and you will be elected out of office; it’s that simple. I don’t care how nice you are at Republican Party monthly meetings, how generous you are at the Lincoln-Reagan dinner, or how much fun that “remote” SANDAG retreat was– you were elected to oppose any and all efforts to add new taxes. It would be better if you CUT taxes, but you certainly have to oppose ANY effort to raise taxes.
Break that compact, you’re out. You can operate the sky gondola for your next career.
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So who is challenging Brian Maeinschein (SP) for his support of the MCO tax??
Author
I think that was revenue neutral, Andy. Brian signed the pledge and I know he has taken it seriously since 2012.
Yes, HJTA was neutral on the vote as well. It just seems like CA takes more than enough in taxes, and the Republicans had one chance to say “no” and get rid of a tax…they didn’t do it. Are CA Republicans for anything, like smaller government, lower taxes, less regulation? Seems like they had a chance to take a stand and folded…
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Maienschein saw the MCO vote as a tax cut because of the reductions in corporate taxes insurers paid. Some disagree with him, suggesting the plan is too complicated to conclude that.
If support of this tax hike drastically reduced the gasoline tax, I would be the first to applaud anyone who supported it, but it doesn’t. It’s just a new tax. No offsets, no reductions anywhere else.
This scheme is just a new tax.
The MCO tax is revenue neutral and saves the billion dollars in matching funds from the federal government. It also provided the opportunity to give much needed support to the collapsing DDS system. It was smart policy and the few Republicans who supported it should be applauded.
Sorry…I’m confused now Brian…and Chris – I don’t oppose helping the DDS community, but I’d bet CA has that billion available without the strings that come from the feds…subsidiarity is the principle…local CA people working with the local folks who need the help…
Here was Sen. Anderson’s take last year on the MCO bill, which he opposed:
http://district38.cssrc.us/content/senator-anderson-issues-statement-mco-tax
He more recently said DDS was left in the MCO deal instead of funded with other revenue as a means of getting Republican support on the MCO package.
Alternatively, Marie Waldron and Brian Jones, as fiscally conservative as anyone in the Assembly, both supported the MCO, as did Maienschein.
Conservative minds differed here.
From the view of the taxpayer the MCO is designed to have no impact. Some corporations will see a new tax but those same corporations will get tax credits. Zero sum. I would have no problem challenging our legislators on their vote but I can find no basis for doing so.
Author
If we might direct our attention the SANDAG scheme, some Republicans are considering a vote to put this NEW tax (with no offsets) on the ballot. They think that voting to “let the people decide” absolves them of all responsibility.
It doesn’t. Republicans are elected to oppose any and all efforts at new taxes. There are no reductions of any other taxation with this new tax, no offsets, no credits.
The SANDAG scheme is just a brand new tax.
In California we have 1st, 2nd 3rd AND 4th highest state income tax brackets. We have the world’s second highest capital gains rate, the highest workers’ comp rates, the highest statewide sales tax rate, the highest gasoline taxes, the most expensive housing costs, the nation’s most anti-business litigation industry, the most stringent environmental rules, the highest water costs, by far the highest fines and fees, the most expensive “public servants,” the highest average electricity costs and the worst business regulation.
http://californiapolicycenter.org/unaffordable-california-it-doesnt-have-to-be-this-way-6/
Think our property taxes are low? Not really. Our RATES are relatively low, but because of our sky-high cost of homes, our property tax BILLS are high. The average CA property tax per single family home is the 8th highest in the nation. Indeed, the median CA homeowner property tax bill is 93% higher than the average for the other 49 states.
http://linkis.com/blogspot.com/Yq6cx
Give the state and local governments more money because “they don’t have enough”?? I think not.
Does this “No New Taxes” ideology apply to the initiative to increase the transient occupancy tax to help pay for a new stadium for Dean Spanos, or is that excluded for some reason?
Paul Florez — Good question! I can’t speak for others, but for me, such support for a higher tax by a politician is a big negative.
If a challenger to such a “higher tax” politician arises who more CONSISTENTLY opposes higher taxes, it’s likely I will support that challenger over the incumbent.
Answer: Absolutely
There is a very BIG problem at all levels with many Republicans supporting higher taxes, fees, rates salaries, benefits, on and on. It’s as though the government bureaucrat and/or hired consultant makes what sounds like a compelling case for it and whether that elected official is a Democrat or Republican, they just go along with it without much in the way of critical thought.
As far as SANDAG is concerned, they haven’t been the best stewards of public funds as it is, so why trust them for more? So like the rest of us, live within your means as our taxes are plenty high, and learn some fiscal restraint.
Author
“As far as SANDAG is concerned, they haven’t been the best stewards of public funds as it is, so why trust them for more? So like the rest of us, live within your means as our taxes are plenty high, and learn some fiscal restraint.”
This is what an elected Republican official should be saying. Fortunately, the Republican who said it is an elected official
If you think about it, one of the big reasons we have Trump is the rank and file Republican voters by and large don’t trust the people they elect, which are Republicans.
The reason for this is it is easier to get along with people by just going along with things, rather than objecting or offering a more austere/cost effective alternative. So the ‘professional’ staff of agencies will offer up some costly proposal(s) full of fat and the electeds will most often just go along as they aren’t the ‘professional’ and thus how could they be a good judge of a more cost effective solution? That premise of course is not true, as most governmental decisions are common sense and elected officials should be thinking before they vote, if they would spend their own money the same way?
So that is another reason Trump resonates with people, because he is a better deal maker, which government sorely lacks. Now I’m not a Trump supporter, but a lesson hopefully is being learned from this by establishment Republicans. And that is people are tired of lip service to the conservative (fiscal) cause and it is time for Republicans to step up and differentiate themselves from their Democrat colleagues.