Whatever you tax, you discourage. Taxes on sales discourage purchases. Increasing the sales tax in San Francisco will discourage people from buying things in The City.
Proposition J will cost you $1 extra for every $400 you spend. Someone buying a new $20,000 vehicle will save $50 simply by buying it outside the city. You can imagine the negative impact this will have on local auto retailers and others selling high-priced items.
This tax will hurt local and neighborhood businesses. Consumers too, especially those on fixed incomes. Ordinary San Franciscans will be made poorer while city government has more money to play with.
The Board of Supervisors has deliberately approved a budget that was not balanced. They hope to pass the burden of making up their shortfall on to us, in the form of new taxes.
There is a fairer, less painful way to balance the budget. According to the Controller's Office, 3,060 people made more than $100,000 working for the city government last year, including overtime and other special pay.
Capping the pay of city employees at $99,999 will save San Francisco over $56 million annually, more than the Controller’s estimate of $33.6 million a year that will be taken under Prop. J.
Surely individuals in "public service" who already enjoy generous benefits and pension plans can get by on $99,999 a year. Why should San Franciscans making $8.50 an hour have to pay higher sales taxes in order to fatten the pockets of officials taking home six figure paychecks?
Reject this tax increase which will hit the poor right along with the wealthy, and demand that city leaders fix their deficit by turning to those in their own ranks who can afford to pay.
Please vote NO on Proposition J!
Starchild
Candidate for School Board