Anyone interested in storytelling might want to pull up a
chair in the state senate gallery and listen to a battle of stories — about
taxes. Dueling emails are circulating requesting stories of woe from those who
either see the end of the temporary taxes as the road to local budget
devastation or the continuation of those same taxes as hardship for taxpayers.
The storytelling fest started with a request from the office
of senate president pro tem Darrell Steinberg. He wants stories from school and
local law enforcement officials on how they will be devastated if the tax
extensions do not occur. The email read in part: The pro Tem is asking all
Senators to call their Sheriffs and the Superintendents of the school districts
in their Senate districts and get short letters from each of them, describing
the cuts they will have to make, worst case scenario (if the Senate must pass a
budget without continuing existing revenues).
You can read more about
the email from Steinberg’s office in Katy
Grimes’ column at CalWatchDog.org.
The Steinberg message
went to Republican as well as Democratic senators. However, the Republicans may
be receiving letters from taxpayers as well. That is because the Howard
Jarvis Taxpayers Association countered with an email to its members asking for
letters telling how the tax extensions will hurt.
The HJTA message read in part: You can help support the case against tax increases
by faxing your story of why you would be harmed by higher taxes …??If you are on a fixed income, are a small business
owner, a struggling working family or even unemployed because of the bad
economy our own government has created here be sure to make those points in
your letter.
HJTA offered a list of fax numbers of Republican senators who
the email said have stood with taxpayers.
Get ready for the storytelling joust and bring a hanky or two.