Villaraigosa Dismembers Prop 13 in his “Grand Bargain”
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa addressed the
Sacramento Press Club yesterday offering a "grand bargain" of revenue increases
and tax cuts to fix the fiscal condition of the state but the core of the plan
dealt with significant dismantling of Proposition 13.
The 1978 property tax reform measure set a firm property tax
rate, and limited yearly property tax increases while requiring a two-thirds
vote of the legislature to raise taxes and a two-thirds vote of the people for
some local tax increases.
Villaraigosa proposed undoing many parts of the proposition removing
business property from property tax protection, lowering the two-thirds vote to
simple majority votes for legislative tax increases and lowering the two-thirds
vote for local property parcel taxes dedicated to education. Parcel tax
increases would be new taxes on both business and residential property.
He also called for a tax on services that could raise $28
billion.
Travel Brings Billions of Dollars into State Economies
If airports are California’s
gateways, then hotels, bed and breakfasts, and inns are homes to travelers.
Whether people are visiting a place they’ve been to before, in town for
business or a conference, or exploring an area for the first time, those
friendly faces at the front desk, housekeeping and the concierge table are
ambassadors for a region.
In my roles with
the Corporation for Travel Promotion (CTP) and the California Travel and
Tourism Commission (CTTC), I’ve seen the sizeable return on investment for
hospitality, travel and tourism spending. The economic engine fueled by a state
or region’s travel and tourism budget should not be overlooked. In fact, the
U.S. travel and tourism industry must be treated as the jewel it truly is.
Travel and
tourism are crucial to the success of a state like California. We are the
number one travel destination in the country, but also a state fighting off
enormous financial burdens. Travel and tourism in California annually inject
$95.1 billion in travel spending into the economy, directly supporting 873,000
jobs and generating $6.1 billion in direct state and local tax revenues.
Villaraigosa’s Whistle Stop
Cross-posted at CalWatchdog.
Offering up what appeared to be a campaign speech, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa addressed the Sacramento Press Club today, repeatedly blasting the Tea Party and Republicans, and even went after California’s Proposition 13 with a vengeance.
What was interesting is that Villaraigosa spent an inordinate amount of time talking about the state’s minority party, and the grass roots Tea Party movement.
“I know some love to talk about media bias. The big irony lies in this: If there’s a single bias, it’s the ever-increasing tilt favoring heat and light over actual news reporting. And unfortunately this hothouse ecology seems uniquely adapted to brewing Tea Party members!” Villaraigosa said.
Calling on the media to help wage his fight, Villaraigosa said that the Tea Party is trying to kill 630,000 jobs by opposing the federal gas tax.
The Infamous Hilton Newspaper Class Action
For those of us who support legal reform, some
cases are so silly, you can’t help but sit back and admire the chutzpah of
those who file them, and shake your head sadly at the legal system that doesn’t
immediately throw them out as a waste of precious court resources. Such is the
case of Sacramento resident Rodney Harmon, who decided to sue Hilton
Hotels at the end of July alleging that they tried to trick
him into reading USA Today.
Seriously, Mr. Harmon? I
have stayed at a few hotels in my time, and I can honestly say I do not
remember the Hilton trying to trick me into reading the USA Today. In fact, I
clearly remember that when I checked in there is a form I signed which states
that if I do not want the newspaper they are delivering, they will remove the
charge.
Unstable Chain Reaction
This may be an unpopular opinion in California, but I’ll say it anyway: I like shopping at Wal-Mart.
Wal-Marts are clean, bright, safe places that stay open late. Their shelves are bountiful and stocked with good-quality merchandise with low prices. For everyday stuff – socks, toothpaste, tires – you can’t top Wal-Mart.
Now that I’ve confessed that, let me say something that may be heresy in California: I don’t feel guilty about shopping there. Not one bit.
Wal-Mart and similar superstores are blamed for destroying Main Street shops, but that’s a silly argument. The superstores have done exactly what businesses are supposed to do: They’ve brought efficiencies to their industry, resulting in lower costs and longer hours for their customers.