21 May 2005
Taxfighters: help wanted
Today, Fresno Bee columnist John Ellis ponders the future of the San Joaquin Valley Taxpayers Association specifically and tax advocacy in the valley generally. Will the SJVTA survive the deaths of its leaders, Jack Fiorentino and John Santoya? Can the more recent Valley Taxpayers Coalition, with former SJVTA members Chris Mathys and Jeff Reid, fill the perceived void?
I cannot answer either question, so I won't venture to comment. But I believe that there is a more pertinent question for valley residents: will there ever be a consistent, effective anti-tax organization in this area?
The SJVTA and the VTC monitor the local governments to help promote efficiency of tax utilization. That is a good thing. However, with all of the successes of the SJVTA, the organization supported school bond issues and some fiscal ballot measures, such as Measure Z last November, that increased our taxes. I believe that it has also been reported that the VTC supports a continuance of Measure C, a sales tax for transportation. And even the Lincoln Club, the primary support group for that party that says they believe in less government and no tax increases (lack of audio precludes use of laugh tract), supported school bonds in Clovis (although the Assemblyman, who lives in that district, couldn't bring himself to commit one way or another) and Measure B and was frozen in indecisiveness on Measure Z.
These organizations (well, the first two) to date have been taxpayers organizations. What the valley needs is a taxfighters organization.
We need an organization that fights for every person's right to sole dominion over their property. We need an organization that believes that the burden of proof is on government to prove its need for our money, not on the citizens to prove our need to keep our money. We need an organization that acknowledges that optimal wealth in this valley will come from all individuals having the full range of options for the use of his/her money and property, and not by having all-knowing solomons who substitute themselves as the decision-makers about our possessions.
We need an organization that questions the very need for taxation itself. There is such an organization and I am proud to be its Chair.
I cannot answer either question, so I won't venture to comment. But I believe that there is a more pertinent question for valley residents: will there ever be a consistent, effective anti-tax organization in this area?
The SJVTA and the VTC monitor the local governments to help promote efficiency of tax utilization. That is a good thing. However, with all of the successes of the SJVTA, the organization supported school bond issues and some fiscal ballot measures, such as Measure Z last November, that increased our taxes. I believe that it has also been reported that the VTC supports a continuance of Measure C, a sales tax for transportation. And even the Lincoln Club, the primary support group for that party that says they believe in less government and no tax increases (lack of audio precludes use of laugh tract), supported school bonds in Clovis (although the Assemblyman, who lives in that district, couldn't bring himself to commit one way or another) and Measure B and was frozen in indecisiveness on Measure Z.
These organizations (well, the first two) to date have been taxpayers organizations. What the valley needs is a taxfighters organization.
We need an organization that fights for every person's right to sole dominion over their property. We need an organization that believes that the burden of proof is on government to prove its need for our money, not on the citizens to prove our need to keep our money. We need an organization that acknowledges that optimal wealth in this valley will come from all individuals having the full range of options for the use of his/her money and property, and not by having all-knowing solomons who substitute themselves as the decision-makers about our possessions.
We need an organization that questions the very need for taxation itself. There is such an organization and I am proud to be its Chair.
# posted by Rodney Austin @ 8:56 AM 
