While Legislators gear up to battle over the State budget crisis, a new group is emerging as a leader in the anti-tax debate this year.
Americans for Prosperity has been taking the state by storm since kicking off their "Already Taxed to the Max!" (ATM) Tour in May, traveling the state with a giant ATM machine and asking Legislators and citizens alike to sign a petition for "no new taxes" in this year’s budget.
And, as the new Democratic Speaker of the Assembly Karen Bass proposed a whopping 6.5 billion in new taxes last week, Americans for Prosperity’s campaign comes not a moment too soon.
With gas prices at an all-time high (thank you, environmentalists) and grocery prices poised to rise even higher, California families are, in essence, "being forced to choose between a gallon of milk and a gallon of gas," said Peter Foy, Ventura County Supervisor and Statewide Chairman of Americans for Prosperity.
With Legislators seeking to tax everything from your i-Tunes songs to the movies you download, and even your "to-go" cup of Starbucks coffee, Americans for Prosperity is rightly sounding the alarm to hold onto your wallets.
Countless Legislators have joined the effort thus far to show solidarity. Legislators who have joined the Tour include State Senator George Runner, State Senate candidate Tony Strickland, Senator Bob Dutton, Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa, Assemblymember Joel Anderson, Assemblymember Martin Garrick, Assebmlymember Van Tran, Assemblyman Jim Silva, Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, County taxpayer associations, local elected officials, candidates and other key officials, to send a clear message to their colleagues that they will stand firm on no new taxes.
I join these leaders in urging each one of you to join with us and click and sign the Petition right now to send a clear message to the Legislature and the Governor that we are, in fact, already taxed to the max. Sign it at www.DontTaxCA.com and the petitions will be hand delivered this Wednesday. And if you’re in Sacramento on Wednesday, join the group on the steps of the Capitol as they rally to send a loud message and to give a voice to the taxpayer.
Care to read comments, or make your own about today’s Daily Commentary?
Just click here to go to the FR Weblog, where this Commentary has its own blog post, and where you can read and make comments.