Just in from SDCTA… SDCTA Denounces Sales Tax Proposal by City of San Diego Association urges reform before revenue and full implementation of managed competition The San Diego County Taxpayers Association will testify in opposition Thursday against an increase to the sales tax or business tax in the City of San Diego. The discussion is scheduled on tonight’s agenda of …
Jerry Sanders Wants a Sales Tax Increase? Bring it on!
Jerry Sanders Wants a Sales Tax Increase? Bring it on! Prepare to LOSE, Jerry – big-time Let’s see if I can summarize what’s happening. From a financial viewpoint, the city of San Diego is going down the tubes. Reforms are being blocked by the labor union owned (well, rented) city council. We are a grossly mismanaged city held up to …
Taxpayers in Wonderland, Government in La-La Land
One of the few lists in town you DON’T want to see your name on was released this morning by the San Diego County Taxpayers Association. It’s the list of “Golden Fleece” award finalists. The infamous Fleeces are “given to government programs/services that exemplify the wasteful, inefficient or downright absurd use of taxpayer dollars.” It’s a shame this creativity couldn’t …
Double Tax Trouble in the South Bay Tonight
Last night, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association put out the word that the City of Chula Vista would attempt to pass a “crash tax” at its Tuesday afternoon meeting. To recap, these fees are imposed upon the responsible parties in vehicle accidents for a whole bevy of services, under the guise of “cost-recovery.” Umm, isn’t that what our TAXES …
Chula Vista considers crash tax at meeting Tuesday, May 4
First it was the North County Fire Protection District. Then the San Miguel Fire Protection District got a lot of heat, but did it too. Now it’s the City of Chula Vista that wants to hit taxpayers with a double-whammy “crash tax” to cover the costs of responding to vehicular accidents. The San Diego County Taxpayers Association was made wise …
Taxpayers Association Issues Ballot Recommendations
One of the most important functions of groups like the San Diego County Taxpayers Association (SDCTA) is educating the rest of us. Providing voters with ballot recommendations that satisfy its criteria for accountable, cost-effective and efficient government has got to top the list. SDCTA has just completed its review of the June 2010 Primary Election state and local ballot measures …
Call it Son of Prop C
Four years ago, voters in the City of San Diego passed Proposition C, which required the City to pursue managed competition to save tax dollars. Since then, the City has outsourced all of ONE lousy contract, primarily due to stalling by public labor unions coupled with lily-livered elected officials. A signature gathering effort kicked off with a fundraiser at Vin de Syrah …
A Tough Tax Day for California
Today is Tax Day. If you and your family are struggling over the financial burdens of our state’s wildly out-of-control taxes, you are not alone. Here in San Diego County, the unemployment rate continues at an all time high, kicking off 2010 at 11% in January, up from a revised 10.3% in December. January was the county’s seventh month in …
San Diego County Taxpayers Association Opposes Three June Ballot Measures
The San Diego County Taxpayers Association announced its opposition to three ballot measures in the upcoming June primary election. The Association opposes Proposition B, the countywide measure calling for term limits on the Board of Supervisors. Association President & CEO Lani Lutar says the board of directors believes the measure is a poor public policy approach, and could potentially create …
CA vs. other states — revised 3-26-10
A number of you have seen my fact sheet “Breaking Bad — California vs. the other States.” If you have not, ingest your preferred recreational drug of choice and then open this URL for the latest version: http://tinyurl.com/CA-Breaking-Bad-3-26-10 Since I continuously update this fact sheet, it’s hard for my regular readers to spot what’s been changed or added. Here’s the …
42% of all states’ 2009 tax increases due to CA
Rider Blog entry: http://tinyurl.com/2009CA-Tax-increase In 2009, 24 states raised their taxes at least 1% to collect $28.6 billion. California’s taxes went up over $12 billion. Thus last year California — with 12% of the nation’s population — was responsible for about 42% of all the state tax increases in the nation. This factoid was gleaned from SACRAMENTO BEE columnist Dan …
City Awards More Than 2,000 Raises and Pays Top Pension of $299,103 in Middle of Its Budget Crisis
DeMaio Releases Annual Report on City Employee Compensation For the seventh year running, San Diego Councilmember Carl DeMaio today released the Annual Report on City Employee Compensation. This year’s report reveals the top salaries and pension payouts in city government and examines total compensation costs (salaries and benefits) for different city job classifications. While the public repeatedly hears that city …
UC fees are illusionary — most don’t pay
LETTER TO THE EDITOR I submitted today: The hysterical protests and the media flap about increased UC student fees ignore one glaring reality — all poor and most middle class students don’t have to pay the fees! To quote from the UC’s own website ( http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/blueandgold/ ), “UC’s Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan will cover your systemwide fees if you …
Surprise! Raise state income taxes, more rich folks leave
RICHARD RIDER COMMENT: Studies continue to find a correlation between the level of state taxation and domestic migration of the wealthy between states. More state tax — more net outmigration. Gee, what a surprise! Who’d ‘a thunk it? Certainly not spendthrift politicians. I’ve written on this several times. Those of you who get my “Breaking Bad — CA vs. Other …
HUGE SD Tea Party rally this Saturday 27 February
This Saturday there is a big taxpayer rally scheduled in San Diego, down by the Star of India on the waterfront. Free parking across the street in the county administration building parking lot. High visibility event, and we want maximum turnout. I’ll be one of the two keynote speakers. Details below from packaged news release. ANNIVERSARY TEA PARTY WITH ROGER …
Nominations Now Open for Taxpayers Assn. Golden Watchdog & Golden Fleece Awards
Nominations are now open for the San Diego County Taxpayers Association (SDCTA) 15th Annual Golden Watchdog and Golden Fleece Awards, recognizing the very best and worst of local government efficiency, spending and decision-making in 2009. Award categories include: The coveted Golden Watchdog Award honoring good government practices and efficient use of public money. The dreaded Golden Fleece Award calling out …
UPDATE: CA vs. other states 1/26/10
Breaking Bad: California vs. the Other States by Richard Rider, Chairman, San Diego Tax Fighters Version 1.57 Revised 26 January, 2010 Phone: 858-530-3027 Here’s a depressing comparison of California taxes and economic climate with the rest of the states. The news is breaking bad, and getting worse (I keep updating this article): California has the 3rd worst state income tax …
The Garrick Question…Some Simple Advice
My last Sunday San Diego column at the FlashReport… As Jon Fleischman hi-lited on the main FR page Saturday, the Union-Trib editorialized on the selection of Martin Garrick as the new Assembly minority leader, praising the decision, while asking a question in the headline: Will he be the latest GOP leader to cave on taxes? Clearly, the UT gets it, …
Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics
Poll results recently released by the San Diego Unified School District suggesting strong support for an annual parcel tax ballot initiative for school funding among likely voters are being thoroughly discredited by the San Diego County Taxpayers Association. In a letter to Voice of San Diego published this afternoon and distributed to SDCTA contacts, Taxpayers Association President Lani Lutar makes …
Taxpayers Association to City of San Diego: Not So Fast!
The San Diego County Taxpayers Association has written an open letter to the San Diego Union-Tribune via a public posting addressing why the Association believes it’s premature to declare “mission accomplished” on pension reform. I’m also posting it here for Rostra readers and invite your comments. That there is a need to post a letter stating the glaringly obvious (at …
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