Pacifica Tribune Letters to the Editor, 7/23/13. "Hold onto your Wallets" by Bob Hutchinson
"Hold onto your wallets,
there's a new con game in town.
The City of Pacifica has spent $30,000
of your money to run a slick campaign in order to raise your taxes yet
again. The sole purpose of this sneaky UUT tax increase campaign is to
convince you how great it will be to pay more of your money to the City.
They even conducted a phony $20,000 poll with loaded questions so they
got the answers they wanted. And this is before they've taken any
meaningful steps to reduce their own waste and overspending.
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| And where is that money going? |
Even
the way this tax measure was written is deceptive. It says "WITHOUT
RAISING THE CURRENT 6.5%". Well, doesn't that just sound like they
don't even want to raise your taxes? Very deceptive! The fact is
they
want to add a 6.5% tax on all your phones which they estimate will cost
you $200 more. That's $1,600 or more in extra taxes you'll pay over the
life of this measure. And that's IF you believe their low ball numbers.
But
the city says "we need the money and we have nowhere else to cut."
Deceptive again! Little Pacifica still has over 50 department heads and
managers making $100,000 to $200,000 and more in pensions and benefits.
And we have an over million dollar surplus and growing.
BUT the
city says "we already made big cuts to union contracts." That's
deceptive too. The total city wages have actually increased over
$330,000 in the past few years, according to the State Controllers
website
http://publicpay.ca.gov/Reports/Cities/Cities.aspx
That's in spite of us supposedly laying off 50 (part-time) employees.
So we obviously didn't make any real cuts. Our neighbor, the City
Millbrae, just negotiated an actual 5% across the board wage reduction.
That's what we need to do, too, and we also need to freeze wage &
benefit increases for at least five years before we end up in
bankruptcy.
Listen, I don't care what you're paying top positions
in Pacifica as long as you don't come to me for more tax money to pay
these high salaries or try to cut services. If you can't afford to pay
that much than you need to negotiate more bigger reductions. Other
cities are doing it, why can't you? I know these are your friends and
co-workers but you have a much bigger obligation to the citizens not to
tax them to death.
The proponents of this
regressive tax are also trying to deceive voters when they tell you this
tax will go to improve sidewalks, streets, fire and police response and
help the poor. They are using scare tactics mostly directed at senior
citizens who they think are easy to manipulate.
There is nothing in this
measure that says where this money must be spent. The fact is it will
go in the general fund to pay increased salaries and benefits to upper
management. The city made the same promises with the fire assessment tax
then they turned around and cut the Fire Dept. Don't believe it.
Meanwhile
thousands of Pacifica families and lower income Pacificans struggle to
get by. Those are the people this tax is really going to hurt. And
Pacifica businesses who will have to pay hundreds more a year. This will
hurt our economy at a time we are trying to build it back up.
Don't
be fooled by this slick ad campaign they are waging (with your money).
This tax measure is bad for business, bad for people and bad for
Pacifica. Tell them where to stick this tax and to live within their
means before they try to take more of your money."
Note: Graphic from Los Angeles Times/Books, "Money Walks".
Submitted by Bob Hutchinson
Posted by Kathy Meeh
