Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Voters beware


Voters beware. The City is out to tax another of your vital services.

The City of Pacifica has placed a 6.5 % tax on your phone services on the Nov. 5 ballot __cell phone; landline, Fax, V.O.I., and even Life Alert will be taxed.

The Pacifica City Council, led by Mayor Len Stone and Mayor pro Tem Mary Ann Nihart, has decided that they need a new long term revenue source. Guess what YOU are it.

Using the thirty year old Utility Uses Tax as a template (I bet you didn’t know that you have been paying an extra 6.5% on your PG&E bill all these years) they have crafted an expansion of this tax to increase revenues by 60%. The Citizens of Pacifica will pay a million dollars or more per year in additional taxes added to their phone bills. 

Now, you are probable thinking “I’ll get something really neat for all that money.” Maybe, maybe not.  This money will go into the general fund to be spent as Council sees fit. All of those election promises are just political hot air. Not one of them is guaranteed. It will be the Fire assessment all over again.

Submitted by Tom Clifford

13 comments:

Hutch said...

Great letter Tom. Simple and to the point.

Anonymous said...

And when you have a service call, that bill is taxable. Installation? Taxable. Reminds me of an old Beatles song.

Hutch said...

That's a good point Anon 7:54.

Also if your phone bill is bundled they may tax the entire amount from what I understand unless you get Comcast or ? to separate them out.

Tom Clifford said...

Add in the 7.3% ($700,000) increase in the water rates and the Citizens of Pacifica will pay just under $2,000,000 more a year.

Anonymous said...

Gosh, you guys sound upset. Would some tears and lame apologies help?
Nihart and Stone, taxation and tears, 24/7. The sub-committee from hell.

Anonymous said...

Live and learn. Nihart has never seen a tax she didn't support or a union salary she'd cut. Lennie has gone all-Stepford on us. And they've got their very own drone in Ervin. None of this should be a surprise.

Hutch said...

We need a lot more money to properly let Pacifica voters know about this unfair tax. The City is counting on people being unaware. Please help however you can $1 to $99. Make checks payable to PACIFICA TAXPAYERS AGAINST MEASURE V. You can drop off checks or cash at US Bank in Eureka Square, or mail to 1005 Terra Nova Blvd., Suite A, Pacifica 94044. Thank you!

We also need volunteers to hand out flyers, put signs in their yards and get the word out.

www.facebook.com/groups/DefeatPhoneTax/

Anonymous said...

The President Obama is pushing a cell phone tax. How do you feel about that?

Tom Clifford said...

The choice is yours people. Write a small check now and stop this unfair tax or write one every month that will cost you thousands over the life of this tax.

Hutch said...

We can't do much about it if Obama wants a cell phone tax.

But we damn well can stop the city of Pacifica from imposing one.

Anonymous said...

I think you have it backwards Hutch. We can damn well spend all the money we need to for Pacifica if we pass the measure v tax. If President Obama passes a cell phone tax none of the money we will ever see, and we can stop him from taxing the cell phone. Chose your taxes wisely GrassHopper.

Tom Clifford said...


Anonymous 10:08 A.M./9:29 P.M. can't you come up with a better argument then an Obama tax red herring. Weak to the point of being pitiful.

The Pacifica City Council has a real Phone tax on the ballot in November and the money from it will disappear down the same general fund rabbit hole that the fire assessment did.

Anonymous said...

929 illustrates the dangers in long term weed use.