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By Jon Coupal
True to form with elections in California, we will not know the outcomes of many key races for days, if not weeks. But we can already discern some notable trends of particular relevance to taxpayers.
First, in statewide office contests, Republicans are irrelevant as California remains in the grip of one-party rule. As proof, consider the race for state Controller, one of the most important constitutional offices. The Controller is the state’s chief fiscal officer, acting as the state’s accountant and supervising local government finances.
Lanhee Chen, a Republican, ran as a non-ideological policy expert who could have provided California taxpayers with some real accountability. He was endorsed by every major newspaper in California and while he is faring slightly better than other top-of-the-ticket Republicans, it’s clear most Californians voted party line irrespective of competence.
Second, grass roots activism is still important. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association worked to defeat several tax increases across the state, including Measure SP in Los Angeles. Measure SP was a $6.8 billion parcel tax that would have ostensibly gone to parks, but the language was so vague that both the editorial board of this newspaper and the progressive Los Angeles Times opposed it.
HJTA, the business community and other grassroots allies worked hard to raise awareness against the measure, and it looks to be heading for a sizable defeat. Homeowners remain a potent political force and would be even more powerful if they realized the potential they have for impacting elections.
Third, those perceived as “wealthy” are vulnerable. While HJTA was successful in defeating Measure SP, it does not look like it was successful in its campaign against Measure ULA — also in Los Angeles. Measure ULA raises taxes on real estate sales worth more than $5 million to fund homelessness prevention programs. On the surface, Measure ULA appeared to affect only the very wealthy and since it’s someone else’s money, why not? In truth, it affects the sale of apartment buildings, supermarkets and businesses, raising costs to tenants and consumers.
To read the entire column, please click here.
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