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Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Spending Your Money to Get More of Your Money

The City of Los Angeles wants to bamboozle you to pay a significant tax on telephone service. They're going to tell you that they're cutting the tax from 10% to 8% (when the courts have already cut it from 10% to 0% for you). They're going to tell you that we are in an emergency and need the money for police, fire, and oh, of course - the children.

And they plan a major campaign with your money to convince you to approve this tax in a February special election.

Normally, when government wants to hit an industry with a tax that industry will fight against it. However telephone companies who have to clear many regulatory hurdles with the City to provide profitable services they would like to offer don't want to rock the boat. So the official word from the phone companies is "hands off."

The unions of course will be joining in because, well someone has to pay for those 28% pay raises. Here are some questions for voters:

  1. Why would you vote to approve a tax the courts have already said you don't have to pay?
  2. Why would you vote to approve a tax when the City has clearly shown its wasting money and has misplaced priorities?
  3. Why should you vote to approve a tax to give City workers a 28% pay raise? When did you get a 28% pay raise from your employer?
With no big guns behind this, the people will have to fend for their own. We will monitor and inform you on this tax regularly, hoping the blogs, talkradio programs and newspapers will get the word out and that the people will not be bamboozled.

No Phone Tax!

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12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said:

We need the tax to pay off Matt Dowd if he ever succeeds at suing the city but doesn't sound like he has a case.

He goes on about it in the thread about the Venice ordinance, and your deafening silence on that while bitching about this tax for cops, firefighters (the guys who are doing a pretty good job right now), street repair, etc. is too hypocritical!!!

By the way, Jeffs got 95 thou, thanks to Parks and Delgadillo not wanting to risk a trial. She was forced out of her last job in Chicago, wonder if she got anything there beyond phony good references?

Shame on all three black CM's for joining their black activists in condemning the Mayor just because of her color. They created an atmosphere which made it inevitable that she'd get something. Parks is on both sides in this thing.

October 23, 2007 2:23 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Now this is a state of emergency not the bullshit the mayor and council are throwing at us.

WASHINGTON - President George Bush today declared a state of emergency, paving the way for federal aid to help fight an epidemic of wildfires that have struck Southern California.

WE HAVE A BUNCH OF FOOLS RUNNING THIS CITY. JEFF GOT $95,000 AND ADD TO THAT ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE ANTONIO HAS HIRED. BUT THEY WANT US TO PAY A TAX. HELLLLLLL NOOOOO

October 23, 2007 6:10 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Antonio has how many attorneys being paid for by our tax dollars yet it seems that not one of them knows anything about the California State Labor Laws or about EEOC. Will someone please give them a handbook to study. You can't just fire someone because you don't like them. The laws protect the employee against idiot bosses. Its costing the city a lot of money cause apparently Antonio has been firing people then realizing its going to cost the city.

....Former Animal Services General Manager Guerdon Stuckey was fired by Villaraigosa. He appealed to the City Council, which negotiated a $50,000 contract.Former Community Development Department General Manager Clifford Graves resigned last year and was given a $25,000 contract to write two reports totaling 13 pages on the department's policy challenges and organization options.

And former Emergency Preparedness Department General Manager Ellis Stanley retired last month - at the nudging of the mayor and was given a four-month, $60,000 contract to write a report on issues important to the incoming general manager.

October 23, 2007 6:24 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Question...was our (dis)honorable mayor in Las Vegas Sunday kissing Hillary's big butt while the fires were burning here in Los Angeles? I'm glad he can run around pursuing his own agenda. I'd hate for running the City of Los Angeles to get in the way of any of his personal goals. (NOT THAT IT EVER HAS BEFORE!)

October 23, 2007 10:42 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Answer: there are no fires burning in Los Angeles.

October 23, 2007 11:06 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

More Waste, "Frog", and Abuse... City Council Passes a $250K boondogle called the Census 2010 Project... It'll more accurately count the city population, er the democrat-incliners, for the next census count, intended for the purpose of greater government representation... Hey, anything to pad California's Representative count with Democrats, right... Yes, we really do need that telephone tax!!!

October 23, 2007 11:26 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

11:06 am

No, they may not be in the city itself, but how many city fire fighters are risking their lives fighting fires in neighboring communities through mutual aid agreements? I guess the residents of Porter Ranch, West Hills and North Hills aren't worried about the fires burning right over the hill in Santa Clarita. This is a very dangerous situation that deserves the attention of all of our city's leaders. So you are right there are no fires burning in Los Angeles.

October 23, 2007 11:57 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

At least it happens only once a decade. Here's what happened back around 1999. Guess what, a Census 2000 Project.

http://citycouncil.lacity.org/calendar/public/011299.TXT

LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1999
COUNCIL CHAMBER, ROOM 300, CITY HALL - 10 AM
...
ITEM NO. (29) - Motion Required

98-2397 - COMMUNICATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES relative to
CD 14 a request to negotiate and execute a lease agreement at 205 South
Broadway Street, Suite 620, for the Census 2000 Project.

Recommendations for Council action, as recommended by the Municipal
Facilities Committee, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR:

1. AUTHORIZE the Department of General Services (GSD) to negotiate
and execute a lease agreement at 205 South Broadway Street,
Suite 620, under the terms and conditions contained in the
Department's December 17, 1998 transmittal (CF 98-2397).

2. AUTHORIZE and INSTRUCT the Controller to make the following
transfer of funds from the Department of General Services Fund
No. 100/40, Account No. 6030, to facilitate moving services and
communications work required for the Census 2000 Outreach
Project:


a. Transfer $2,000 to the Department of General Services Fund
No. 100/40, Contractual Services Account No. 3040 for
moving services.

b. Transfer $20,000 to Information Technology Agency, Fund No.
100/32, Communication Services Account No. 9350, for
communications work to be done at 205 South Broadway
Street, Suite 620.

Fiscal Impact Statement: The GSD reports that the Census 2000
Outreach Project was funded for salaries and expenses totaling
$71,550. However, funds were not provided for leasing costs
involved with Census 2000 Project's move to 205 South Broadway in
downtown Los Angeles. The leasing costs are estimated at $34,900
and include one-time relocation and communications services
($22,000), office space ($11,800) and parking ($1,100). The costs
for office space and parking cover six months from January 1999
through June 1999. The leasing costs incurred this fiscal year will
be funded from the Department of General Services' Leasing Account
No. 6030. Full year leasing costs for Fiscal Year 1999-2000 will be
budgeted in Account No. 6030.

(Information Technology and General Services Committee waived
consideration of the above matter)

October 23, 2007 12:18 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

Huizar should have gotten an office in Boyle heights; its cheaper.

October 23, 2007 4:40 PM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

There is NO emergency other than what Mayor Villaraigosa has created along with councilmembers. The only reason “strategy” for this emergency is to obtain a simple majority vote, on February 5, 2008. Hmmm!

NO, NO, NO on Phone Tax……

October 24, 2007 12:22 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

If someone takes your money it’s robbery. If the government takes your money it’s taxation.

October 24, 2007 12:42 AM  

Anonymous Anonymous said:

But if matt dowd and hunt take our money, it's just justice and patronage of artiiiists of superior ability and talent. Therefore we are all ennobled by the opportunity to contribute our taxes to a shakedown.

If the artist thing doesn't work out, dowd can try his hand at law, since he tells us he has already drafted an ordinance superior to any by others.

October 24, 2007 11:16 AM  

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