The general sentiment in this week’s online poll was against new taxes of any kind.
The majority of those responding to an online poll said they did not plan to vote for Gov. Jerry Brown’s sales tax on the November ballot.
The same went for a competing state tax measure put on the ballot by attorney Molly Munger and, locally, for the Petaluma Friends of Recreation parcel tax.
About 61 percent said they would not vote for Brown’s tax, 85.3 percent said they wouldn’t vote for Munger’s, and 81.1 percent said they wouldn’t vote for the PFOR tax. Here were the comments.
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“Before I’m willing to support any additional taxes, I need assurances that my money will be spent wisely. I’m not convinced the city council or state legislators have learned any lessons in fiscal responsibility during this recession. I’m one who wants to see entire programs eliminated rather than just scaled back. I want an effective government that does fewer things, but does them well.”
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“California’s taxpayers are already paying some of the nation’s highest taxes and motor vehicle fees.
It’s time to cut the layers of “fat” out of the government and seriously reduce the outrageous retirement benefits of state, county and local government employees — much more generous than the private sector.”
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“California residents are already among the highest taxed in the nation. Vote no to any new taxes!”
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“Gov. Brown’s proposal has been torpedoed by the $54 million state park budget morass.”
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“I’m sick of higher taxes where the money disappears.”
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“If this is the best that Gov. Brown can offer, then we need to fire him. Recall Brown!”
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“Just tax me to death! Hey pretty soon I’ll fit into Molly Munger’s plan and be so poor my tax won’t be increased.”
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Sorry Petaluma Friends of Recreation. I just can’t support a parcel tax for parks when our state park system hides $54 million. I’m sure there has been waste in Petaluma too. I can’t trust the money will go where intended.”
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“What about the people who live in town who don’t own a parcel? Shouldn’t they have to pay a tax as well?”
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“Increased taxes after four years of a depressed economy will be a disaster. Prices are already skyrocketing at 20 to 30% for everything from food to healthcare(Kaiser raised their rates by 30% this year alone). Small business owners are pushed with their backs to the wall and will probably end up laying off more employees or going out of business altogether. Lumping small business owners in with the”rich”is wrong. Most blue collar workers haven’t seen a raise in four years while the cost of living has eaten away at ——
“Jerry Brown and the state legislature want more tax money to right the sinking ship that is California. The money may help to right the ship but will not do anything to bail out the existing waters that are making it sink. Yet, they want to add BILLIONS of debt with a bullet train and a water canal. Then there’s a group that wants to squeeze more money out of homeowners for something that the city is supposed to provide. Please submit your sample for urinalysis as all of you are ingesting something illegal.”