L.A. Council Votes To Put Half-Cent Sales Tax On March Ballot; But Citywide Candidates Are All Opposed

By Gene Maddaus Tue., Nov. 13 2012 at 1:40 PM

Sales tax: No, no, no

The L.A. City Council voted 10-4 today to put a half-cent sales tax increase on the March ballot. But all of the candidates for citywide office opposed it.

Councilman Eric Garcetti and Councilwoman Jan Perry, who are running for mayor, voted no. So did Councilman Dennis Zine, who is running for controller.

Controller Wendy Greuel, who is also running for mayor and who has avoided taking positions on several controversial issues in the past, also came out squarely against the tax increase:

"I have serious concerns about putting an increase on the ballot without addressing current spending, and I would have voted against the increase," Greuel said in a statement. "Taxing our way out is not the solution, but fixing the problem is."

Garcetti did not explain his vote at the council meeting. Update: In a statement, Garcetti said "I believe the focus must be on growing our economy and creating jobs."

Perry said she feared the tax would "cause other businesses to reconsider coming here or cause them to leave," according to the L.A. Times. Update: From Perry's statement: "The tax before the Council was another example of our City balancing its books through quick fixes rather than making the long-term structural changes we need."

If approved by a majority of voters, the sales tax would go up to 9.25% within L.A. city limits. The half-cent increase would bring in $208 million to $215 million a year.

L.A. officials note that voters in Culver City, Commerce and La Mirada approved sales tax increases last week. It could be more difficult, however, to pass a sales tax increase in a low-turnout city election, which would draw a more conservative electorate than the one that turned out for thepresidential election.

Tags:

Eric Garcetti, Jan Perry, L.A. City Council, sales tax, Wendy Greuel

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sunTech

Lets see: buying a car? Save hundreds of dollars by just going outside the LA new "tax zone."

Have a car dealership? Now you have to cut your price to match the dealers outside the tax zone.

Are you an employee of the dealership, or maybe a spouse or child of a dealer? You just lost the money your husband has to give up to compensate for the tax.

Are you a maid, grocery store, car wash or other business in LA? The Dealer's family and employees have less money to spend on you now.

What will the tax do? Make LA poorer.

What should LA do? Cut taxes, cut pensions, cut expenses.

What will LA do? Raise the tax of course.

Yvette Bucio

Fuck no. I wouldn't.

cynic

Napoleon who has NEVER worked in his life, always in the public trough, wants to pay again in the name of public safety. Have we not heard this b s cry before? Remember the other Napoleon`s b s , when he told us the extra trash fee will take care of public safety ? Liars have infested City Hall.

Chris Elder

richard alarcon wants this. he's going to trial pretty soon. i can't wait.

David Neudorfer

Absolutely. As long as for getting the Metro lines completed faster. Which the Middle and Lower class use extensively.

Cassandra Quiroga

Nope. Hate paying taxes.

Abby Gustchen-Reeff

Finding ways to spend responsibly should be combined with moderate tax increases. We can't continually "cut spending" (translation: firing people) which, in turn decreases the amount of money the state takes in.

Bei Huang

Hell NO! Enough is enough! Tell the council to stop spending millions of dollars every year on illegal immigrants and we can save the money from there!