This past week, Q-line asked:
The City Council this week decided to place a measure on the November ballot that would increase the sales tax rate to 10.25 percent for an increase of one-half of a percent. Will you vote for such a tax?
Here are your responses:
“Vote in another tax increase? Definitely not. I don’t shop in Santa Monica now because everything is overpriced. This is the most moronic idea the City Council has come up with yet, and that takes some doing.”
“Increasing the sales tax by half a cent is a terrible idea. The sales tax is already too high and raising it again will not solve the budget problem. The only solution is to cut costs, and our elected officials have shown they do not know how or don’t want to do that. If they get more revenue, which they will have complete control over, they will just find more pet projects to spend the money on. Also, this sales tax increase will certainly hurt our local restaurants and businesses, as many people would just decide to shop and eat out in West L.A. We should all vote no, and we should also vote against all of the incumbents who are running for re-election to the City Council.”
“I would strongly support the half-cent sales tax if the money was going to the school district. I think that is an incredible idea, and I would strongly support it.”
“The problem is that our money is being mismanaged. I’m against taxes because if the taxes go through, I will be moving to Europe. You know what happened to those who wanted a tax increase in Paris. I suggest that the people in City Hall who proposed that have the same fate as the ones who did in France.”
“Most people that I know appreciate it when paramedics show up when they dial 911, they appreciate having water that you can drink without making you sick, and they appreciate teachers teaching children. A Supreme Court justice once said, ‘Taxes are the price you pay to live in a civilized society.’ Anyone who continues to insist that cutting is the solution, I tell you to look to the Gulf of Mexico to see what happens when you cut and cut and cut, and there’s no government there to protect the rest of us. We have tremendous services in our city, and we’re really lucky for them. And the people who complain really don’t know what they’re talking about. I’m tired of teachers and cops and firefighters being laid off. It’s time we stepped up to the plate and took care of our society, each other and our children.”
“No. It will kill business in Santa Monica.”
“No, I won’t vote for the tax increase, and I won’t vote for any incumbents running for any office in Santa Monica. If the tax increase goes into effect, I will do my shopping outside of Santa Monica.”
“If they pass this increase in the sales tax, I will no longer shop for anything in Santa Monica, even if it is an inconvenience. We have to take a stand at some point. This city is, and has been for a long time, a center of mismanagement. I think they have gall even proposing such a thing.
“No, I wouldn’t vote for such a tax. These public officials and school district officials keep coming like zombies. Every time we turn them down, they just keep coming back, and they combine vampire genes also, so they are a combination of blood sucking zombies.”
“No, of course not. No more living beyond our means. The only solution is to make necessary cuts in the budget.”
“No, I will not vote for this tax. It is going to kill business in Santa Monica. Why shop in Santa Monica when you can get it cheaper elsewhere? Even though it’s only a penny on $2, you would have to be an idiot to vote for it.”
“I have a simple message that even the boneheads on the City Council can understand: No new taxes.”
“I would not vote for this tax increase or any other kind of parcel tax. As a company owner in Santa Monica, I am definitely opposed to paying any increase, as I am already paying taxes that are too high.”
“My answer is no, I would definitely not vote for an increase in sales tax. I think the city ought to, instead of doling out taxes to overburdened people, let those 500 people surveyed pay.”
“What? Another tax? How many does that make, 27? The political elite in this town must really hate us. To them, we are just sheep to be constantly clipped. Only the rich with their deception or the low income housing poor with their free lunch-eating kids escape this tax. Have you ever noticed how this town has become a endless confiscation of capital? That is why we are a very ugly town. Everything is geared towards taxing the sheep to support a darker lifestyle. We are becoming a dead town, you just don’t see it. Support less spending and less taxes and let people decide what to spend their money on.”
“We already pay enough taxes. We pay a lot to the city of Santa Monica through our utilities including phone and cell phone bills. How about instituting a luxury tax on luxury items that are not necessary to living? Do you really need that fur coat? Do you need that diamond? Put a luxury tax on luxury items and leave the rest of us alone.”
