RIDER NOTE: While my article below describes the rigged nature of the San Diego establishment’s “taxpayers association,” it’s really a textbook example of what is the situation in most of the large cities and counties in California.
The board of directors of the San Diego County “Taxpayers” Association just voted UNANIMOUSLY to support the county SANDAG countywide sales tax increase on the ballot this November.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2016/aug/03/taxpayers-association-endorses-half-cent/
To me, the SDCTA decision is not surprising, but the unanimous vote is both surprising and disappointing. Especially so when one realizes that 30% to 50+% of the VOTERS in the county will vote against the tax. How can four dozen members of a “taxpayer” board ALL be in favor in massive new 18 BILLION DOLLAR county tax increase?
I’m a long-time taxpayer activist. I’m also a member of SDCTA, active on their Issues Subcommittee. I’ve chosen to work from within, providing a true taxpayer advocate’s voice. We have a pretty good working relationship, and the staff does an impressive job analyzing the issues before the group. But the nature of how SDCTA is governed is why we formed San Diego Tax Fighters back in 1999.
It’s important to understand that the SDCTA board is NOT elected. It’s “pay to play.” One must contribute at LEAST $5,000 to be on the board — usually funds contributed by one’s firm or organization. The SDCTA subcommittees and staff can make whatever recommendations they wish — but it’s SOLELY up to the board to decide.
Perhaps that is only fair. They pay the bills. The list of officers and board members is below.
But it’s important to know that SDCTA is NOT a “taxpayer” organization — the name notwithstanding. It’s a BUSINESS organization dominated by construction firms that pay the substantial overhead of the organization. Their interest is in “efficiency” and “good government” (however one wants to define that).
Sometimes SDCTA gets it right on tax issues. But increasingly they don’t — especially when concrete is involved.
It’s why we formed our slipshod, rinky-dink San Diego Tax Fighters group. We are an UNABASHEDLY pro-taxpayer, grassroots outfit dedicated to the premise that in California “we pay too much already.” Indeed, that’s our group’s motto. We’re excited that we have about $7,000 in our checking account — our “war chest” to counter the massive spending by the special interest groups. Yeah, THAT’s gonna go well!
I expect to be quite active between now and November, presenting the “we’re taxed enough” viewpoint in opposition to the avalanche of tax increases on the ballot. With each California taxpayer facing somewhere between 5 an 9 tax increases on the upcoming ballot (depending on the voter’s jurisdiction), it’s going be a busy time.
And just maybe taxpayers will be so enraged by all the tax increases that this time they will vote “HELL NO!” on all these measures. I’m actually hopeful that such is the case in San Diego County.
But I digress.
It’s interesting to note how few of the SDCTA board members are in a business where a substantial portion of their gross revenue is subject to a sales tax. And take particular note of the labor union boss at the bottom of the list (a very influential PUBLIC EMPLOYEE labor union boss, no less). Plus several other government bureaucrats on the board, representing various entities in the county.
I have few objections to the people on the board. Indeed, a handful are more often than not my allies on issues. What I DO object to is the LACK of small business owners (not counting lobbyists) and folks whose taxpayer concerns are not compromised by their businesses or occupations. It’s who is MISSING that is more important than who is sitting now on the board.
But the most important thing to remember from this article is that SDCTA should not be considered the default voice of the taxpayers. As I’ve said before, I suggest that SDCTA consider changing their name. Perhaps the most neutral name would be the San Diego County ESTABLISHMENT Association — it’s more accurate, and ultimately more informative to the voters.
NOTE: To be fair, I should point out that just about EVERY large city or county in California has a similar “taxpayer” organization. The business model is widely used — form a special interest cabal and call it a “taxpayer” group — purportedly speaking on behalf of the taxpayers, when they are REALLY speaking on behalf of big business, construction firms, government agencies and other special interests.
And BTW, it’s the same for the bigger Chamber of Commerce chapters — run by and for special interests, and NOT run for the small business owner — or taxpayers. Indeed, many on the C of C boards don’t engage in “commerce” as most of us would envision it. Lawyers, accountants, architects, professional lobbyists, labor union reps and even government bureaucrats dominate on these C of C boards.
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SAN DIEGO COUNTY TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION
Board Of Directors
Officers
Greg Stein
Chairman of the Board
Millennium Health
Kimberly Hale Miller
Vice Chair/Events
Rath | Miller
Glen Sparrow
First Vice-Chair/Issues Committee Chair
SDSU Professor Emeritus
Cynthia Morgan-Reed
Vice Chair/Secretary
Morgan-Reed Law
Glynna Hoekstra
Vice-Chair/Treasurer
Balfour Beatty Construction
Haney Hong
President and CEO
Board Members
Tom Alexander
Fred Finch Youth Center
Dimitrios Alexiou
Hospital Association of San Diego & Imperial Counties
Jimmy Ayala
Pardee Homes
Michael Bardin
Scripps Health
Brad Barnum
Associated General Contractors
Madeleine Baudoin
American Medical Response
Graham Beatty
Poseidon Resources Corporation
Louis Blum
Finch, Thornton & Baird, LLP
April Boling
Boling and Boling
Ben Boyce
Southwest Strategies
Corrine Brindley
SeaWorld San Diego
Aaron Byzak
UCSD Health Science
Nancy Chase
Gregory Canyon, LTD
Julianna Chick
California Strategies
Mike Christensen
California Restaurant Association
Scott Crosby
Associated Builders & Contractors
Rodger Dougherty
Kaiser Permanente
Kim Elliott
Kilroy Realty
David Erickson
Erickson-Hall Construction
Jim Euphrat
NASSCO
Josh Gaffen
Gafcon
Matt Harris
San Diego Regional Airport Authority
Hector Infante
Chevron Corporation
Barry Jantz
Grossmont Healthcare District
Bob Kevane
Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS®
James Lawson
Presidio Public Affairs
Lani Lutar
Rancho Guejito Corporation
Jill Monroe
Point Loma Nazarene University
Ben Motten
Conner Networks Inc.
Mark Nelson
Sempra Energy
Mark Norman
Falck San Diego
John O’Neill
Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch
Brian Pepin
The Lincoln Club of San Diego County
Kevin Royal
Ashford University
Philip Serghini
WalMart
Ted Shaw
NAIOP San Diego
Bill Sheffler
Sheffler Consulting Actuaries, Inc
Nate Smith
Westfield Corporation
Greg Stein
Millenium Health
Sara Steinhoffer
Sharp Healthcare
Tom Turner
Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch
Todd Voorhees
San Diego Gas & Electric
Mark Watton
San Diego County Water Authority
Meena Westford
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Doug White
Cox Communications
Clif Williams
Latham & Watkins LLP
Sheryl Wright
Encore Capital Group
Michael Zucchet
San Diego Municipal Employees Association
Mental Health Systems
http://www.sdcta.org/about/board-of-directors/#sthash.xGtCvN5t.dpuf