CA Special Election Today: Budget Measures on the ballot…

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Get to the polls Californians and send a DONT TAX ME BRO message to D.C.!!!

A great group organizing anti tax and pro budget reform rallies and action in SoCal is socaltaxrevoltcoalition.org:

..MAY 19th Special Election: The San Diego Tea Party Tax Revolt movement urges Californians to be fully informed and active voters. Seven propositions are on the May 19, 2009 Special Election ballot in California. Go to our MAY 19TH ELECTION page for the full details. The SoCal-TRC, LLC positions on the Propositions are as follows:

NO: 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D and 1E YES: 1F and 13

San Jose Mercury News:

..Five of the six measures that voters will face, backed by the governor and Democratic lawmakers, aim to close the state’s massive budget deficit. They do it through a complex and controversial arrangement of new taxes, borrowing and reallocation of state funds.

…Proponents, who have significantly outspent their counterparts, say this is the best approach and portray defeat of the measures as crushing for schools, local governments and social services….

…Supporters of the measures, which include most Democratic leaders and unions such as the California Teachers Association, have spent more than $20 million to convince voters that this is the right way to trim the deficit. Among the top contributors to the yes campaign, according to state filings, are Santa Cruz businessman and Netflix founder Reed Hastings, who gave $251,000. The donor list also includes sports teams like the San Francisco Giants and San Jose Sharks, the liquor industry and a handful of motion picture companies.

…The opponents of Tuesday’s measures, who have raised only a fraction of their rivals, include an even more diverse slate of interests, from progressives to conservatives, all who have found something wrong with the election package. Most of the concerns stem from Proposition 1A, the centerpiece of the ballot effort. The measure calls for an extension of the tax increases approved by the Legislature earlier this year – the sales tax, vehicle licensing fee and income tax – as well as a cap on total state spending, with the surplus set aside in a new “rainy day” fund.

…Taxpayer groups have a different but equally critical take on Proposition 1A. Their criticism targets the call for revenue. “We’re the highest tax state in the country now and there’s a lot of money coming in already,” said Eric Eisenhammer, a legal assistant with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. The taxpayers group estimates that Proposition 1A would mean $1,100 in annual taxes for the average family.Further down the ballot, critics have jumped on Propositions 1D and 1E. The former would redirect tobacco tax money, which voters approved for children’s programs. The latter would reallocate voter-approved funding for mental health…

..Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger outlined problems the state would face if the measures fail during his release of next year’s budget last week. Teacher layoffs, raids on local government property taxes and moving state prisoners into county jails were just a few of the consequences, he said.

And where will the Governator be manyana? Why likely in DC with TOTUS announcing new economy stifling carbon caps!

*Video by Shred2k6– “Here It Goes Again” by OK Go

May 19, 2009. Tags: CA Budget, CA Budget Measures, CA Special Election, Here It Goes Again, OK Go, socal tax protests, SoCal Tax Revolt Coalition. Economy, Immigration, Music, Popular Culture, Taxes, Uncategorized. Comments off.