Governor's tax plan called 'regressive' by Green Party, another hit on working women & men; upping vehicle tax would bring in more money from Arnold's Humvees alone
GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES NEWS RELEASE
SACRAMENTO (November 7, 2008) - The Green Party of California called Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed sales tax increase and his plan to force state employees to work holidays without holiday pay "regressive" - and another example of a refusal by the wealthy to really pitch in to help solve the state's budget mess.
"Sales taxes are inherently regressive, disproportionately relying upon the limited resources of the working poor to balance a prison-heavy budget," said Paul Franklin, a Green Party official on the Live Oak School District (Santa Cruz County) Board. Proposed cuts to public primary education would be "devastating on the morale of already over-worked and underpaid teachers," he added.
Franklin wryly noted that "Restoring the vehicle registration fee, on the other hand, taxes according to one's wealth, and need to display that wealth ostentatiously. Many hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars would enter the State Treasury from Schwarzenegger's pockets alone just from his paying fair registration fees on his fleet of Humvee vehicles."
Greens also oppose taking paid holidays away from state workers. "This is another slap in the face of working men and women - many of whom may have even voted for the Governor. Paid holidays have been a longstanding, and hard fought right earned by workers," said the GPCA.
Greens charged the Governor is being "wrong-headed," and that there are solutions. But the Governor's political friends won't like them.
The state, for instance, could save billions of dollars by taking a hard look at Prop. 13 and prisons, said the Greens, pointing out the state would save billions by not sending nonviolent offenders to prison and not sentencing non-violent offenders to life under the "3 Strikes Law."
Greens also suggest reforming Proposition 13 and replacing it with a fairer distribution of property taxes, and increasing commercial property taxes compared to residential taxes.
"It is wrong to support the rich real estate interests by taking from the pocketbooks of working men and women. The basic tax policies of the state should foster a more equitable progressive tax structure, as opposed to the present regressive nature, which levies the heaviest burdens on those least able to pay. Sales, corporate and income taxes should be adjusted to relieve the burden on those less able to pay and increase the burden on the super wealthy, who do not pay their fair share," said the Greens.
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Contacts:
Susan King, Spokesperson, 415.823.5524,
Daniel Brezenoff, Spokesperson, 310.422.2211,
Cres Vellucci, Press Secretary, 916.996.9170,
The Green Party of California
PO Box 2828
Sacramento, CA 95812
Phone: (916) 448-3437
Web: http://www.cagreens.org
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