BizFed Votes to Oppose CA Governor's Tax Measure, Support Prop. 32 on November Ballot

Oct. 17, 2012 - PRLog -- LOS ANGELES, CA – The Board of Directors of BizFed, Los Angeles County Business Federation, voted today to OPPOSE Proposition 30 and SUPPORT Proposition 32 on the Nov. 6 ballot.

The vote by the Board - comprised of leaders from BizFed’s more than 100 business organizations across LA County representing nearly 200,000 businesses – reflects the clear message of the grassroots alliance’s members in a recent survey. In the October survey, 58% of BizFed members surveyed opposed Proposition 30, while 68% of those surveyed supported Proposition 32.

“We all support excellent schools, but Proposition 30 doesn’t put any new money into the schools or guarantee the $6 billion a year tax increase will make it into our ailing classrooms,” said BizFed Chair John Kelsall, President and CEO of Greater Lakewood Chamber of Commerce.

“Our members have clearly spoken: They want to see the legislature and the Governor make real fiscal reforms – and not use our schools and schoolchildren as innocent pawns,” said BizFed CEO Tracy Rafter.

BizFed’s Board of Directors opposes Proposition 30 for several reasons, including:
•   Instead of providing new funding for schools, Prop. 30 is a “shell game” that allows the revenues to be spent on anything in the budget.
•   It hurts consumers. By making California’s sales tax the highest in the nation, working families will bear more costs for everything from gas to clothes.
•   It is especially damaging to millions of small businesses that will face a double whammy of higher income and sales taxes, as most small businesses pay income, not corporate taxes.
•   There’s no reason our elected officials need to ask for more money. This year’s state budget is $5 billion higher than last year’s. They need to better prioritize their spending – starting with education.

“Proposition 30 simply bails out our politicians – raising taxes to pay for more spending, with no corresponding meaningful reforms to pensions, education or regulations that would save taxpayers money,” said BizFed Founding Chair David Fleming.

BizFed’s Board also voted to support Proposition 32 as simple, straightforward campaign finance reform that prohibits both corporate and union contributions to candidates.

"Business leaders support Proposition 32 because it protects individuals from having money taken without their consent for political purposes – and takes a huge step toward making elected leaders more accountable to the people who elect them," said Fleming.