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By Jon Coupal
The deadline for local governments to place tax hikes on the November ballot is rapidly approaching. This is why political consultants have descended like locusts on city councils, county boards of supervisors and school boards pitching their services. Their objective? Fool, er, convince, voters to approve even higher levels of taxation.
These consultants are nothing if not slick and very convincing. They also use taxpayer dollars to engage in so-called “informational” campaigns explaining to the public why their city, county or school needs more money, whether they do or not.
Here’s how it works. Consulting firms specializing in tax measures engage in aggressive advertising pitching their services directly to local governments or through associations such as the League of California Cities or the California School Boards Association. If they get a bite from a jurisdiction, they claim to be able to do a “feasibility” study to test voters’ receptiveness to a tax hike. But these surveys are often loaded with questions designed to elicit support for the desired outcome (e.g. Do you think education is important?).
Armed with “data” showing that tax increases could pass voter approval, the consultants then engage in “outreach” to organizations and interests that might benefit from tax hike increases, such as public sector unions and construction companies. The jurisdiction even begins to engage in direct mail campaigns that are designed to build good will with voters. These might be glossy fliers with photos of police or fire personnel.
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