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发帖数: 43 | 1 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/10/BAC
(06-10) 16:47 PDT Sacramento --
Counties, school districts and community colleges would have broad authority
to seek taxes on income and products like cigarettes and alcohol under a
bill approved by the California Senate this afternoon.
The bill gives local entities power over taxes that currently only the state
Legislature can impose. The Senate passed the bill after Republicans, and a
handful of Democrats, refused to support a measure sought by Gov. Jerry
Brown to place taxes on a special election ballot. That measure needed a two
-thirds majority vote from the Senate.
The special election measure would have asked voters this fall to extend and
increase taxes through June 2016. But if voters rejected the measure, the
taxes still would have been imposed for the remainder of 2011-2012 fiscal
year, that ends in June 2012.
Republicans charged that such a move would have been a clear violation of
Brown's promise to put tax increases before a vote of the people.
The other tax bill, which previously was SB 653 but was changed to SB 23,
gives counties, school districts and community college districts the power
to call elections to let local voters decide whether to impose personal
income taxes, excise taxes on things like cigarettes and alcohol, increase
the sales tax and create their own vehicle license fees. It passed by a
majority vote of the Senate.
The proposal has been fiercely opposed by businesses throughout the state,
who have been lobbying against it since it was first introduced. The
California Chamber of Commerce calls it a "job killing" bill.
While allowing these local taxes could shore up revenues lost from the state
, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, said the bill
also is meant to apply pressure on Republicans to reconsider their stance on
the special election tax package proposed by Brown.
"It's about both. I've said our foremost responsibility is to provide
resources for public education and public safety. We would all prefer to do
it in the way the governor has called for," Steinberg said. "If that doesn't
occur, this bill, SB23, is one of the few tools, maybe the only tool left
to those who are going to bear the brunt of the failure to gain the state
revenue."
Democrats are clearly hoping the passage will cause business interests in
the state to ramp up pressure on Republicans to support the governor's plan.
"If we've got a game changer, this is it," said Sen. Mark Leno, D-San
Francisco, the chairman of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee.
But Republicans assailed the bill, saying it could lead to an avalanche of
taxes that will drive businesses and residents out of the state.
"This bill ... should probably be characterized as the I Love More Taxes of
2011," said Sen. Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar (Los Angeles County), the vice
chair of the budget committee.
In addition to that bill, the Senate passed on a partisan vote an updated
budget bill, though it relies on the funding that would have come through
the tax bill that was rejected. The Senate will return Saturday for
remaining minor budget actions. The Assembly did not meet Friday to consider
budget bills.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/10/BACI1JSIFK.DTL#ixzz1OyQKUrC1 |
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