Concerned business owners and citizens will step forward to voice their opposition to a proposed sales tax increase in the City of San Diego prior to a discussion at the San Diego City Council meeting on Monday afternoon, July 26 at 1 p.m. Speakers will call for the City to address pension reform, managed competition and spending cuts before asking taxpayers for any more of their hard-earned money.
The event will take place at the Concourse next to San Diego City Hall, 202 C Street, San Diego, CA 92101.
Speakers include:
• Dave Martin, Point Loma resident and owner of Shades Restaurant in Ocean Beach
• Jim Musgrove, Ocean Beach resident
• Kristina Levit, San Diego resident and U.S. Army Reservist
• Ralph Pesqueira, Mission Valley resident and owner of El Indio Mexican Restaurant
• Dr. Allen W. Chan, San Diego resident/businessman; owner of Jasmine Restaurant
• Katie Hansen, California Restaurant Association
• Janelle Riella, Downtown San Diego Partnership
• T.J. Zane, President & CEO, Lincoln Club of San Diego County
• Carl DeMaio, Councilmember, City of San Diego (co-moderator)
• Kevin Faulconer, Council President Pro Tem, City of San Diego (co-moderator)
San Diegans AGAINST The Sales Tax Increase is a growing coalition of groups and individuals, including the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, Lincoln Club of San Diego County, San Diego County Republican Party, San Diego Libertarian Party, San Diego Tax Fighters, Stop Taxing US, City Councilmember Carl DeMaio, Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer, and more. The group says: “We want REFORM before REVENUE in city government. We demand a fix to bloated pensions and wasteful spending before any tax increase is even discussed.”
I’m squarely behind this group and doing my best to assist by getting the word out. If you’re with us, there is plenty you can do to help. If you’ve got the time on Monday, show up at the City Council meeting at 2 p.m. We want to pack the Council Chambers to demonstrate how many voters are against this ill-considered idea. If you can’t make it, then call, write, email, or tweet the members of the City Council who need to hear from you: Sherri Lightner, Todd Gloria, Tony Young, Donna Frye, Marti Emerald, and Ben Hueso. Lightner is possibly the swing vote that will keep this measure from reaching the ballot, costing taxpayers PLENTY just to make what’s obvious official. It’s going to take a critical mass of people to make a firm impression against the organized support of public labor unions.
Bravo to Kevin Faulconer and Carl DeMaio who’ve both been against this gambit from the start.
Comments 4
Thank you for the alert, Ms. GLF !
If Craig Gustafson is covering this event for the U-T, keep this blog post of his in mind.
It wasn’t as unprecedented as it was predictable.
A coalition of community leaders opposed to a proposed sales-tax increase for San Diego gathered Monday afternoon at a shopping mall in University City to tell Mayor Jerry Sanders to find a different way to solve the city’s budget crisis.
Billed as an “unprecedented” gathering of opponents, it was more of a who’s who list of people a reporter would likely call to get a negative quote about a tax increase. Speakers included the local Republican Party chair; the city’s two Republican councilmen; a pair of taxpayer advocates; and the president of the Lincoln Club, a pro-business group. . .
Not present at the press conference was Daniel Munoz with SAN DIEGO LA PRENSA, who strongly opposes the sales tax increase. Since then the Asian Business Association (not sure of exact name) has joined the opposition. Also the North County C of C, which normally does not weigh in on San Diego city issues.
Consumer confidence continues to slide down because people are unsure about their jobs and the economy. PEOPLE HAVE NO MONEY TO SPEND – WHY DOES GOVERNMENT NOT UNDERSTAND THIS!!!! A higher rate of tax on a smaller amount of sales is not the answer. Sales are going to continue to remain slow until at least Christmas time, which will probably be yet another dreadful season for retailers. If the City is thinking a “temporary” (LOL) tax is the answer they are delusional. Just like all the cities and counties who based budgets on sky high property values, and now are sweating bullets as property taxes reset to values that the market will accept (a market driven economy…whoda thunkit???) What happens if the tax increase passes and we have another shortfall next year? Another “temporary” increase? Remember that Seinfeld episode when Elaine kept promoting the military guy from the mailroom to get him out her hair…Hueso going to Sacramento where he will be 1 of 80 and hopefully in less of a leadership role could be a blessing to our city.