In 2017, the California Legislature launched a sustained and withering assault on middle-class taxpayers. Its victories were numerous and significant: A $75 per document recording tax was approved, affecting up to 400 different transactions; a gas and car tax, which takes effect November 1, will cost California households another $600 a year; and an increase in environmental regulations, known as cap-and-trade, could increase the cost of fuel by an additional 70 cents/gallon by 2030.
In the face of such devastating policies, it is easy for taxpayers to question whether legislators will ever be held accountable. However, a useful tool to assist taxpayers is the annual legislative Report Card published by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Introduced back in 2007, the point of the report card is to document how lawmakers have voted on issues important to taxpayers. Lawmakers tend to hide behind statements, often of dubious veracity, to justify their votes. The report card sets aside motives, politics and party affiliations and simply asks one question: did legislators stand up for the interests of taxpayers? While politicians may obfuscate, the numbers don’t lie.
HJTA’s 2017 scorecard featured a list of 22 bills which, represents a broad sample size, making it easy to see who is either a friend to taxpayers or beholden to the special interests that pervade the state Capitol. Beyond the obvious tax increases listed above, other bills include those that make it easier for local governments to increase sales taxes, and allow for San Francisco Bay Area residents to increase bridge tolls. Attacks on the initiative process are another common theme highlighted in the scorecard.
Given the policy breadth of the bills listed above, it should come as no surprise that the 2017 scorecard was nothing short of abysmal. A record 79 legislators failed the scorecard while only 24 got a grade of “A.” Ten legislators received the coveted and difficult to get perfect score in 2017: Assembly Members Travis Allen, Brian Dahle, Vince Fong, Jay Obernolte and Jim Patterson. They were joined by State Sens. Joel Anderson, Patricia Bates, Jean Fuller, Mike Morrell and Jeff Stone. These legislators should be commended for their diligence on behalf of taxpayers. …
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I am curious to see how all the taxpayers out there, will react to the impending $4.00 / gallon gasoline coming our way like a freight train coming off the tracks, and stop caring about the ridiculous “Russia Meddling” probe, that has only turned up a potential tax cheat and money launderer. The sheer amount of money that has been wasted on the probe is astounding. I am guessing you won’t see the local news media, talking about it is going to take a toll on the everyday working person, not to mention the construction trades people who can barely afford to drive to the jobsites in the SF Bay Area.
Come on you “freeloaders” that is what Brown and his Dems called us, “FREELOADERS”. Brown and his Dems always have enough money for Illegal mexican trash. Wake up freeloaders and kick these asswipes to the curb in 2018…
Look up YOUR rep/senator and see how they voted last year. One more reason to get them out of Sacto OR break this State in half and let them swim in their own caca! https://www.hjta.org/legislation/report-cards/
As the State continues to create more debt, and programs to push Socialist policies intended to drain taxpayer wallets making them more not less dependent on government who were the perpetrators of these policies?
As Holmes would say eliminate the obvious and what remains is the truth. Identify the “Tax & Spend” politicians and you have in default those who would protect the taxpayer and their hard earned wages.
Why would this matter?
Taxpayers certainly don’t in CA, only mega-million contributors matter.
We know that a lot of the straight Democratic voters have manual labor jobs that require the use of their vehicles. Will they be shocked at how much more it costs to fuel their vehicles?