FLASHREPORT

PLENTY TO DISLIKE IN 1A - AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM SAYS VOTE NO ON MAY BALLOT PROPOSITIONS

Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform

[Publisher's Note: As part of an ongoing effort to bring original, thoughtful commentary to you here at the FlashReport, I am pleased to present this column from Grover Norquist.  Norquist is President of Americans for Tax Reform - Flash]

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On May 19 of this year, Californians will vote on Proposition 1A.

Proposition 1A will increase taxes.

Proposition 1A has a phony “spending cap” that provides no real limits to government overspending.

And if the government actually hits the “spending cap” all tax monies go into a slush fund to be spent from there.

What is not to hate?

Worse, we have been through all this just a few weeks ago…..and here we go again. Less than two months after crippling tax increases were crowbarred into the latest budget agreement, Californians are once again threatened with billions of dollars in higher taxes and the tax and spenders in Sacramento have the gall to do this in the middle of a recession.

There is, however, one big difference this time – Golden State voters will have a say in whether they want another round of tax hikes. On May 19, Californians will be asked if they want the tax hikes passed in February to be extended for another two years. This question will come in the form of Proposition 1A.

Do not be fooled by the marketing. Prop 1A does not even come close to providing an effective spending cap. Even worse, the so called “rainy day fund” that 1A creates is nothing more than a slush fund for the spending interests that have put a great state on the road to bankruptcy.

At the start of this year California had the sixth-highest state and local tax burden, and was ranked an abysmal 48th when it comes to states that are the most conducive to opening a business, investing and creating jobs. The Golden State will only fare worse by both of those metrics as a result of the budget agreement reached in February and this downward spiral will be exacerbated by the passage of Prop 1A.

Make no mistake; California does not have a budget shortfall.  California has a gross overspending problem.  Since 1991, state spending in the Golden State has skyrocketed by almost 300 percent. Such profligacy is not without consequences. Californians spent 204 days last year, well over half the year, just paying for the cost of their government.

Passage of Prop 1A would enable this overspending problem to continue.  Worse, it will allow the politicians to pretend they have “solved” the problem and they will have forced voters to “do it to themselves.”  The politicians created this crisis.  They want voters to vote themselves guilty and to vote to punish themselves with higher taxes.

It is time to end the denial that California’s political class is living in. Rejection of Prop 1A will be the first step in this important and necessary process.

Be sure and vote against Proposition 1A on May 19. Or move to a state that hasn’t been overspending as badly as California.  There are several dozen.

Americans for Tax Reform would like to see one tenth of the American economy spared this tax and spend masochism. ATR’s webite, www.atr.org, will be following—and opposing all the tax and spending increase measures on the ballot, 1A-F. 

See ATR's May 19 Special Election Ballot recommendations here.
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Grover Norquist is President of Americans for Tax Reform.