Opinion: Stop state’s looting of local tax dollars
By Chris McKenzie
By voting “yes” on Proposition 22 on Nov. 2, voters can stop state politicians from raiding local taxpayer funds that should be used at the local level for vital local services like emergency 911 response, police departments, fire departments, libraries, parks, and transportation improvements.
For years, Sacramento politicians have used loopholes in the law to take billions in taxpayer funds dedicated by voters to local government and transportation services.
These billions in state raids and losses of revenue due to the declining economy have forced deep cuts in local services people depend on every day.
For example, Redwood City cut a dozen police positions, took a fire engine company out of service, cut park maintenance, cut street maintenance and announced that approval of building permits and processing would take longer from now on. In 2009-10 the city was forced to “loan” the state $2.9 million of property taxes, which cost the state of California steep interest payments to Wall Street bankers and reduced funding for other services. This “loan” comes on top of $5.4 million each year in property tax shifts from the city by the state.
Chris McKenzie is the executive director of the League of California Cities. For more information visit www.savelocalservices.com, join our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter @yesonprop22.
