Just say no to tax increases

In his new book, The Authoritarian Moment”, conservative author Ben Shapiro says: “(An) authoritarian moment relies on the acquiescence of a silent majority.” What is such a moment and how does that involve our council’s move to place a 1% sales tax increase on November’s ballot? Such silence, or worst yet, uneducated, informed voters could allow our ruling class, be they elected or not, to sway citizens to wrongly support an erroneous decision, i.e. actually a 13.79% increase when the 1% is compared to existing 7.25%.

Unabashedly, Chico has many unmet needs financially; the “elephant underfunded pension deficit” being the largest. If agreed to by a simple majority, voters will have once again deferred their needs to this minority claiming to know what is best for us. If you believe this tax increase will be used for street repaving and lighting enhancement and other community items, I have a bridge to sell you. City staffers are desperate to pad their mainly taxpayer paid pensions, one way or another.

To achieve $24,000,000 in additional revenue, it will take an aggregate taxable base of $2,400,000,000 (2.4 Billion) times 1%, at the purchasing rate of $20,000 per every citizen. Remember, not all purchases are taxable! Could the consultant advising them have included the soon to increase (July 1) California gas tax of $.55 per gallon?

Nancy Reagan, recall, proposed a “Just say NO to Drugs” Let’s “Just say NO to this tax increase” in November. Tell government to have staffers “Pay their own fair share and fix out roads from existing monies.” — Joe Azzarito, Chico