I will not have to work this weekend so I will be at Sat's meeting.
I have been thinking we need to make up a one page summary of our
recommendations for the San Francisco propositions to post on the website, send
to the newspapers and just hand out to people. We need to have a very short
sentence or two explanation of our position and a website that people can
contact to get more info.
Something on the order of the following:
SAN FRANCISCO LIBERTARIAN PARTY
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SAN FRANCISCO BALLOT PROPOSITIONS
NOVEMBER 2012 ELECTION
Prop A - to levy a an annual $79 parcel tax to fund City College of San
Francisco Recommend - NO
A parcel tax is a compulsory levy which must be paid without any regard to
quality or value of output. This is a guarantee that the money will be wasted
and bloat will proliferate.
Prop B - to issue $195 million in bonds to fund parks and open spaces
improvements Recommend - NO
A bond issue is a tax on future taxpayers to pay for what present voters want.
Fairness demands that those who want government services should be the ones to
pay for them.
Prop C - to establish a Housing Trust Fund to provide affordable and low-income
housing Recommend - NO
The government cannot subsidize everyone. Providing subsidized housing to some
will make it even harder for others to pay their housing costs.
Prop D - to shift year of election of City Attorney and
Treasure No Recommendation
This has no discernible effect on liberty or freedom.
Prop E - to phase in a gross receipts tax and phase out payroll tax and increase
bus registration fees NO
The proponents argue that a payroll tax is a tax on hiring and reduces hiring.
By the same logic a gross receipts tax is a tax on selling and will reduce sales
in San Francisco. The business registration fee increases will have to be paid
of higher prices to customers or reduced hiring of employees or lower wages paid
to employees who are hired.
Prop F - to study the draining of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and replacing it with
other water and power sources
NO
There is no reason to think other sources of water and power are going to be any
cheaper or environmentally friendly. Perhaps Hetch Hetchy should not have been
built. But it is built.
Prop G - to make City policy to oppose corporate
personhood. NO
A corporation is a name for a group of people, just like a union or a government
agency. Corporations pay taxes and suffer the burdens of government regulation.
To deny them the right to participate in political decision making will subject
them to an orgy of plundering and looting without the right to defend
themselves.
This is not meant to be final. Only a draft for talking purposes.
Les Mangus