Brea Councilman Wants To Raise Taxes, While Passing The Buck
Posted by: Jubal | 07/18/2008 2:32 PM
The OC Register ran a story today about the Brea City Council's 3-2 vote directing their city attorney to prepare a quarter-cent sale tax increase initiative for possible placement on the November ballot.Mayor Don Schweitzer, Mayor Pro Tem John Beauman and Councilman Ron Garcia voted for preparing a slaes tax increase.
Councilmen Marty Simonoff and Roy Moore were opposed.
Beauman had this to say:
"Rather than me making the decision, the people of Brea should be the ones to decide what is important to them. If the people of Brea vote against it, then it is their decision."Nice! Way to pass the buck while trying to sound high-minded about it.
It amazes me when elected officials defer decisions to the voters because it is "too important" for mere councilmembers to vote on. Why have a city council in the first place?
Don't get me wrong: I think property and sales tax increases ought to be put to the voters. I'm impatient with electeds who see that as a way to escape responsibility, rather than as a check on government.
In any case, Brea is barking up the wrong tree. Larry Gilbert highlights the pickle their in over at Orange Juice. Rather than reflexively seeking first to add to the taxpayers' yoke, the City of Brea channel that energy into reducing costs and prioritizing what's really necessary.
Councilman Roy Moore said as much:
Councilman Roy Moore, one of two opposed to the sales-tax measure, said other options, such as finding ways to cut costs, have not been brought before the council: "I generally oppose tax increases. I'm listening to the people, and to me, it just validated my original position."
At the end of the day, it will take a four votes to place a sales tax increase on the ballot, and there were only three votes direct the city attorney to prepare the text of a tax hike. Unless either Moore or Simonoff flip, it isn't going anywhere -- and Schweitzer, Beauman and Garcia have written a hit piece against themselves ina future election.
Brilliant!
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Why would the voters of Anaheim want to vote for you Harry? You were ready to run...
Jubal: Thank you for sharing this information.
What Brea did isn't a surprise, because politicians always have the tendency to pass the buck!
Diamond Bar did the same two years ago on the Library tax proposal. It was put on the November 2006 ballot, because of fear that the "Friends of the Diamond Bar Library" group was going to put their own language in a form of an initiative. Therefore, it forced the council to get ahead of the curve.
Ultimately, Measure L was resoundly defeated by a whooping 71% No to 29% Yes.
Brea sounds like a training camp for the Board of Supes..... the best buck passers on the planet.