Yesterday, 8-16-12, Governor Brown kicked off his campaign for Proposition 30, a higher tax (calling it an income surcharge) on those making over $250,000 to remain in effect for seven years and a quarter cent sales tax increase to remain in effect for four years.
Currently California schools and higher education are looking to sustain cuts of up to $6 billion dollars. If the tax is passed it will help close the deficit and provide schools with the constitutionally required funding to which they are entitled. Please read that again....constitutionally required funding. It is also important to note that this tax WILL NOT provide new funding for schools.
As if throwing in the fear factor of cutting the educational system to our children was not enough, Brown managed to tie this tax increase proposition to AB109 funding. Apparently the tax would also provide guaranteed money to local governments to pay for
Brown's plan that shifts low-level convicts from state prison to county
jails.Please read that again too....would provide guaranteed money. So Brown impliments a master plan to reduce the prison population by placing the non-non-non's in the County jails, thus thrusting the added pressure and expense on counties promising them a pitance to cover the expense and then says that if the voters don't vote to raise taxes the counties may not receive money for these transfered inmates, thus putting the financial pressure on the counties.
This is only my opinion, but I am seeing a trend here.
Recently CalFire's budget was cut so drastically that air attack bases were closed, man power was reduced and equipment was sidelined. A tax, under the guise of a fire assessment fee, was implemented to cover the cost of fire suppression in the SRA areas, but not surprisingly, CalFire will not see its closed air attack bases reopened with this funding, nor will they see an increase in manpower.
I do not profess to have the answers but eventually we peasants will pick up our pitchforks and say enough is enough. Just how much of our paychecks does the Government really want?
If you would like to opine please visit the Copper Gazette facebook page and vent freely.
By,
Charity Maness
P.S. On the Federal level Obama is pushing an initiative to let Bush era tax breaks expire for those making over $250,000. This will mean that in 2013 the top tax rate on ordinary
income will rise from 35% to 40.9%, the top tax rate on dividends will
rise from 15% to 44.7% and the top tax rate on capital gains will rise
from 15% to 24.7%.
