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Californians back raising taxes on state's wealthy
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | April 1, 2011 | Joe Garofoli

Posted on 04/01/2011 9:47:38 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

....Seventy-eight percent of likely California voters support a 1 percent increase in the income tax rate for Californians earning more than $500,000 a year, according to the poll, which was conducted by Democratic pollster Ben Tulchin and sponsored by the California Federation of Teachers.

.....The teachers union is looking to partner with other labor groups to put the tax before voters in November. Such a measure would need approval from two-thirds of voters.

The measure is seen as a "sweetener" to lure more voters to the polls should there be another measure on the ballot in the fall asking voters to support tax increases to balance the budget. Legislators and the governor have already agreed to $11.2 billion in spending cuts and funding shifts.

Lawmakers haven't seriously considered taxing the wealthiest Californians this year because it takes two-thirds of the Legislature to approve a tax increase. Republicans, who control slightly more than one-third of both chambers, oppose any taxes.

Reaction in Sacramento was guarded.

"Obviously, the people are getting frustrated with the minority party in the Legislature," said Gov. Jerry Brown's spokesman Gil Duran, who declined to take a position. "Eventually, their voices will be heard."

.....The poll didn't move the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association, a group that many conservative lawmakers look to for cues. A tax on the wealthiest Californians, said Jarvis Executive Director Kris Vosburgh, could drive them and their cash out of the state.

"There is nothing more mobile than rich people and their capital," Vosburgh said.....

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; cft; rich; tax; taxes; taxrate; unions; wealthy
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

If they could just get enough of our money, they could solve all our problems.


21 posted on 04/01/2011 10:15:56 AM PDT by umgud
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To: scooby321

That is my thought as well. Today, polls are propaganda devices rarely informational.


22 posted on 04/01/2011 10:15:56 AM PDT by AEMILIUS PAULUS (It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

“Obviously, the people are getting frustrated with the minority party in the Legislature,” said Gov. Jerry Brown’s spokesman Gil Duran, who declined to take a position. “Eventually, their voices will be heard.”

What unmitigated horseshit. Typical from a liberal.

These idiots deserve what they get.


23 posted on 04/01/2011 10:16:46 AM PDT by headstamp 2 (The most dangerous place on the face of the earth is between a liberal and their money.)
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To: dfwgator

Of all things liberals don’t like is paying their fair share of taxes.

Therefore Calif. will be exporting their liberalism to Texas, Arizona etc., and the rest of the US.

As long as the poor and the middle class pick up the tab for their governmentalism, these displaced morons will do the same for Texas that they did for California...Bankrupt the system.


24 posted on 04/01/2011 10:19:34 AM PDT by chainsaw
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To: trapped_in_LA

I know a former cop in California who put himself through law school working nights. He’s a brilliant, inquisitive type guy. He later formed a consulting firm and established a small software company. He now employs about 150 people. He told me a couple years ago that he would be moving his family and his businesses to Nevada within 5 years if California continued to increase taxes because it was no longer profitable for him to stay....I’m sure he is just one example in thousands....


25 posted on 04/01/2011 10:26:45 AM PDT by Crapgame (What should be taught in our schools? American Exceptionalism, not cultural Marxism...)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

when deciding whether Peter should rob Paul, you can always depend on Peter’s vote


26 posted on 04/01/2011 10:28:10 AM PDT by silverleaf (All that is necessary for evil to succeed, is that good men do nothing)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Another one bites the dust......

http://www.uncoverage.net/2011/02/carls-jr-headquarters-leaves-california-for-texas/


27 posted on 04/01/2011 10:36:46 AM PDT by sanjuanbob (Festina Lente)
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To: bkepley

My employer has figured out a solution. They
have outsourced payroll, security, IT, real estate
and janitorial services. The employees that
performed the work were terminated. The
buildings were sold to a holding company and are
being vacated rapidly. My current project is
cutting floor space it has held for over 20 years.
The parking lot is nearly empty. The cafeteria
has reduced offerings and cut staff in half. CA
is business unfriendly. Business is adapting to
cut CA out of the equation.


28 posted on 04/01/2011 10:44:16 AM PDT by Myrddin
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To: Myrddin

Yeah, tax the rich! Gotta love that idea. It worked so well in the past, and tax and spend folks just keep droning that mantra. It does not matter who conducted the poll. If you say it enough, people will want it, just like we all want to get another colonoscopy, root canal, or upgrade to the next Windows operating system. It’ll work quite well. After a lot of the rich decide to leave this state, there will be a new standard of rich with lower incomes that will inevitably fall prey to being classified as rich and get taxed even higher. While we’re at it, let’s again impose those luxury taxes on yachts, cars, jewelry, to the tune of 50%. Another 50 cent per gallon of gasoline tax will help repair roads, but that money will be diverted to the general fund and disappear into that black hole no one understands or cares about. Why not add a $10 tax to a pack of smokes, up the CRV to $1 a bottle or can. This is all a great way to increase revenue, considering the fact that the powers-that-be cannot imagine reducing spending. And, let’s keep pouring money into pensions and give all the free medical care, free higher education and all the other goodies to the illegals. After all, that’s the reality of California.


29 posted on 04/01/2011 10:58:37 AM PDT by Ranger Warrior
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

California already has a very progressive income tax system. I own a payroll service in California and recently I was examining a couple payroll tax returns. On the one return there were 4 or 5 employees who earned a combined roughly 45,000 for the quarter. On the other return there was one doctor who single-handedly earned 45,000 for the quarter. The doctor had to pay about 2.75 times the federal income tax of the 5 employees combined. The doctor also had to pay about 4.75 times the CA state income tax of the 5 employees combined! The point is, we already have a highly progressive income tax system here and it doesn’t seem to be yielding prosperity.


30 posted on 04/01/2011 11:26:03 AM PDT by mbs6
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To: mbs6
The point is, we already have a highly progressive income tax system here and it doesn’t seem to be yielding prosperity.

Yep, won't, California is already on the down side of the Laffer curve and the higher that taxes are raised the LESS revenue will come in.

31 posted on 04/01/2011 11:36:50 AM PDT by 2001convSVT (That Beck guy was right about gold, too.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
I'm stuck here in California for the time being due to family and work commitments. I'll just have to make the best of it.

What angers me about Brown is his glib and dismissive attitude toward any real reforms in the budget process, pensions, etc.
When asked why the tax extensions proposed for the June ballot had to be for FIVE years, when the state is dealing with a one-year deficit, he casually dismissed the questioner, saying five years seemed about right to him.
These are the same tax extensions the voters rejected by a 2-1 margin back in 2009. Now he's going to blame the Republicans for his failure to get these on the ballot this year, even though he knows the voters would probably reject them again.

Democratic politics as usual, nothing changes in Sacramento.

32 posted on 04/01/2011 12:18:46 PM PDT by Deo volente (God willing, America will survive this Obamination.)
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To: bkepley
The Republicans will always be the “party of the rich”.

And why do they say that? Because they want to make people hate someone else; to be jealous; to be excused for giving up because it's someone else's fault. They appeal to the worst in human nature.

We need to keep telling voters that Obama and his ilk are killing their dream by destroying the system necessary to improve their lives; that being productive, successful and taking pride in your family is the drug of choice they need to be hooked on.

We have to put someone on the ticket that people can rally behind. Someone, who when they speak, their words just ring so true.

33 posted on 04/01/2011 12:33:24 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Deo volente
When asked why the tax extensions proposed for the June ballot had to be for FIVE years, when the state is dealing with a one-year deficit, he casually dismissed the questioner, saying five years seemed about right to him.

He wants more and he wants it forever. They're locked in their mindset. The people don't matter. To the Browns of the world, supporters are only useful idiots. And when Californians vote the wrong way, their puppet judges strike down election victories - over, and over and over again. I'd get the hell out of there at all costs. People should move to Wisconsin and support a strong GOP revival.

34 posted on 04/01/2011 12:43:40 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: mbs6
The point is, we already have a highly progressive income tax system here and it doesn’t seem to be yielding prosperity.

And the crooks aren't all in the state house. Look at all the city and county government crooks -- ie Bell, CA.

35 posted on 04/01/2011 12:45:31 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: chainsaw
As long as the poor and the middle class pick up the tab for their governmentalism, these displaced morons will do the same for Texas that they did for California...Bankrupt the system.

Well, we're on to their game. They certainly did their number on AZ, WA, CO, NM, OR -- sort of like a blight across the land. But I believe the pendulum is going to swing back. It's the only way left, unless it totally collapses.

36 posted on 04/01/2011 12:50:04 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Ranger Warrior

Let’s have CA pols go all out on taxing the rich at 100% of their income and property. Let’s loot everything they have because they are “evil” and must be punished.

Yes, there are enough stupid people in CA that think this would be “just”. Those are the same ones who will be killing friends and neighbors for “stuff” when the whole of CA implodes. No food, no money, no electricity, no plumbing — just tribes of looters on the prowl. Sort of like “Mad Max” for real in CA.


37 posted on 04/02/2011 2:43:12 AM PDT by MasterGunner01 (To err is human; to forgive is not our policy. -- SEAL Team SIX)
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