When I first became a member of the Board of Equalization in 2002 the job I found least satisfying was sponsoring legislation. I had left the Legislature and no longer thought it was my job to make laws. Since that time I have grown even more wary of this and last week’s meeting of the Board is a good example. There are always legislative proposals that can reasonably be called “technical housekeeping” — like fixing drafting errors in law. I am happy to support these efforts. What I do not like is the tendency of the Board to lobby the Legislature to make the tax agencies more powerful and to prop up bad tax programs. I appreciate that the Governor has vetoed many egregious recommendations from the BoE — while also signing some that came out of the BoE over my objections — but at the very least there should be much more public pushback when the BoE asks the Legislature to make laws affecting taxpayers.
At last week’s BoE meeting, the Board, over my objections, approved sponsoring legislation to mandate that certain small businesses and individuals apply for a Use tax permit; another to validate the uncollectable Use tax in a way that defies logic; another to give the BoE the authority to revoke the licenses of contractors who fail to pay their tax liability; and another to give the BoE access to employment data that was originally created to help the federal government track child support payments but has been expanded to allow access by many government agencies for many different reasons that have nothing to do with child support.
Folks, there is no limit to the bureaucracies’ thirst for power. And it is not because the people who work in the government are bad people. It is simply the nature of the beast. The only thing that can stop it is conscientious legislators and governors, and most of all, the people.
Here is an edited clip of the discussions. I focus on my own comments because they, along with Board Member Michelle Steel’s, are objections the Legislature will not even know about because the Board’s majority voted in favor of sponsoring these flawed proposals.
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Mr. Leonard:
Who were the votes FOR this legislation?
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Attention Libs and Rinos: There are many dusty paths pointing East out of California; they are not ancient indian trails; you are witnessing the modern classical tale….LAST OF THE RISK TAKERS(Mohicans).
These faceless gov. workers and administrative parasites are killing business at every turn….just try and get permits to build a restaurant in Los Angeles….hear it can cost upwards of $40,000., the total tab for beady eyed consultants, yawning plan checkers, misery loving valet parking gurus, attracting the right people who know the right people…hmmm, sign and graphics sooth sayers and the usual ardious delaysetc, etc, for electric outlets and toilets and the grisly tenant improvement mayhem frought with changes in direction, stalls, I forgot to have you include these expensive enviro/Ceqa tid bits…..