Californians: See a tax hike? Vote no. See a bond measure? Vote no.
The Southern California News Group editorial board has issued several direct recommendations on state and local tax and bond measures this election season.
Statewide, California voters will have to decide on two very costly bonds at $10 billion each.
Proposition 2 claims to be for the schools. Really it’s just a poorly designed pile of debt that will be used to reward school districts which agree to use costly union labor. It’s never about the schools.
Proposition 4 claims to be about water, the environment, fires, the climate. It’s a grab bag of pork.
Taken together, Proposition 2 and Proposition 4 will increase the budgetary pressure on the state budget and incentivize Sacramento to raise our taxes across the board. In addition, the more money that goes toward bond (and interest on bonds) means less money for actual services the state could provide the taxpayers.
Proposition 5, on a related note, will make it easier for local governments across the state to get bonds approved by voters. Ads about Prop. 5 pretend it’s really about housing, but that’s nonsense at best and absurd at worst. It’s about making it easier to get bonds through, which means higher property taxes, just so politicians can play Santa Claus with public funds.
Then there are taxes and bonds up and down local ballots. Hundreds of them, more than 500.
Californians must not surrender more of their money to do-nothing politicians and special interest groups. Local tax and bond measures are almost always about making it easier for politicians to skate on balancing their budgets and prioritizing the money they have.
We have suggested that, when in doubt, vote no on all bonds.
We must also give special attention to LAUSD’s Measure US, a $9 billion bond cynically put on the ballot at the very last moment without much public discussion. According to the Daily Bruin, school board member Tanya Ortiz Franklin explained, “by submitting the proposal late, the board hoped to hamstring attempts to call the bond’s increased spending unnecessary.” We can only hope LAUSD voters reject this money grab.
And finally, we must also point to Measure A in Los Angeles County, which would raise as much as $1 billion per year forever in sales taxes. The especially cynical campaign by supporters of the measure, especially United Way of Greater Los Angeles, must be rejected by voters.
Californians are overtaxed. California is deeply indebted.
Unless you have a very good reason, vote no on bonds and tax hikes as a general matter.