Official Ballot Arguments For and Against Proposition S ("S" for "Shady")

Official Ballot Argument Against Proposition S. ("S" for "Shady")

1. Your taxes would go up.

Proposition S would restore an illegal tax hike the courts threw out.

In March 2003, City Hall increased your phone tax illegally, by failing to get voters' approval. In July 2005, the Superior Court threw out the illegal tax hike. City Hall filed an appeal -- but continued to collect the tax, despite the ruling. In May 2007, the Court of Appeal affirmed the Superior Court's ruling: the tax hike was illegal.

Now City Hall wants to restore the illegal tax hike. To trick you into thinking Proposition S is a tax cut, proponents say it would reduce the tax rate from 10% to 9%. Don't fall for it. If you vote "no," you won't have to pay the tax at all, because the courts threw it out. If you vote "yes," the tax comes back, and you'll pay 9%. "No" means "no tax."

Proposition S would create a new tax on internet and wireless services.

City Hall would tax you for using the internet, wireless networks, text messaging, instant messaging, VoIP and similar services.

2.You would pay more (9%) than telemarketers (5%).

3.You already pay more than enough taxes.

City Hall's annual revenues are at an all-time high: $6.7 billion per year. That's over $1.4 billion more per year than in 2004-5. Taxes are higher in L.A. than in surrounding cities, and high enough to hire more police. As for the City's "general fund," it is just one of over 50 budget funds. Rather than raising our taxes for the "general fund," City Hall should cut waste, and ask voters to amend the City Charter to use other budget funds to hire police.

4.You can learn more at NoOnPropS.com.

Walter Moore
Candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles

PLUS THIS REBUTTAL TO MAYOR ANTONIO'S ARGUMENT "FOR" PROP S. ("S" for Shady.)

1. “Updates” and “modernizes” just means “taxes new technology.”

2. Prop S would increase your taxes, not reduce them, by: a) restoring the illegal tax hike of 2003; and b) creating the new internet and wireless tax.

3. Prop S would not apply the tax “more evenly and fairly:” you would pay 9%, telemarketers would pay 5%. How is that “fairer than the current tax?”

4. Prop S would tax internet and wireless services. Read the proposed ordinance. Only downloads are exempt from the tax.

5. Prop S contains no provisions requiring the tax money to “be used for essential services.” (That would make it a “special tax” under Prop 218, and require a two-thirds vote to pass.)

6. Prop S is not “necessary to comply with recent court decisions.” The Superior Court’s 2005 judgment simply invalidated the 2003 tax hike, and did not require: restoring that tax hike; imposing a new tax; or giving telemarketers a lower rate.

7. Substantial cuts in important services are unnecessary because: a) phone taxes account for less than 4% of the City’s tax revenues; b) the City’s annual tax revenues are up over $1.4 billion per year more than in 2004-5.

8. Existing law (Prop 218) already requires voter approval for tax hikes. That’s been the law since 1996.

9. The Mayor and City Council should always ensure taxes are “collected properly” and “properly spent” -- whether Prop S passes or not.

10. The career politicians backing Prop S may have fooled many outstanding people into believing we need this tax. Don’t let those politicians fool you, too. Vote “no” on Prop S.

Walter Moore
Candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles

MUCH MORE ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSITION INCLUDING REBUTTALS, FOR AND AGAINST, HERE.

PLEASE EMAIL this page link to your address book so they can see it. The Shady Mayor and his co-shadiants are going to spend TONS of money to pass this bamboozle.

zumadogg@gmail.com
See ZD's "No on Prop S" Music Videos as featured on AM 870 KRLA here.