The city code says that council members are offered first shake at writing the Arguments For and Against ballot measures, and Mark Sorensen agreed to write the Argument Against Measure J. He makes some good points. Thanks Mark!
Argument against Measure J
Vote NO for more taxation, vote NO on Measure J.
The bloated Chico bureaucracy already extracts over $6.5 million per year from its struggling businesses and citizens by taxing basic life necessities such as water, electricity, natural gas and traditional telephone services, and now the Chico bureaucracy wants to expand that tax to apply to cellular phone services and every form of electronic communication service existing now, and those yet to be invented.
The sales pitch of a supposed reduction in tax rate (only on telephone services) diverts your attention from the goal of expanding the tax to new communications services, and the resultant tax revenue increases.
Taxing life’s basic necessities must stop. These regressive taxes disproportionately harm lower income families at a time when they already struggle to pay for ever increasing service costs.
Chico City Taxes on water, electricity, natural gas and phone services are bleeding Chico’s citizens and businesses dry. It is time to say no more. Chico is at a competitive business disadvantage to other communities. City government must tighten its belt by cutting back on nonessential programs and services.
Do not be fooled , Measure J would expand the Utility Tax to cell phone services and all other forms of electronic communications.
We just cannot afford it.
Vote no on Measure J.
Please write your letters, not only to the newspapers, but to your friends and business associates who live and do business in the city of Chico. This tax not only applies to cell phones, but to pagers, voice over internet protocol, and any other means of “electronic communication” deemed taxable by whoever sits in the Finance Director’s chair. The mover of nutshells.
Here’s the link for the Butte County Elections page that directs you to the various candidates and issues.
http://clerk-recorder.buttecounty.net/elections/archives/eln27/27_eln_main.html
Here’s the link to “local measures”, including Chico ballot Measure J:
http://clerk-recorder.buttecounty.net/elections/archives/eln27/27_local_measures.html
And here’s the text, “impartial analysis, and arguments For and Against Measure J:
http://clerk-recorder.buttecounty.net/elections/archives/eln27/27_local_measures.html#d
Chico Taxpayers Association 
Juanita, isn’t anyone listening?
CalPers is an employee of Chico city and your council appears to “bend over” every time an utterance comes from the Sacramento headquarters.
Your city is probably so far in debt to the “unlimited liability” (whatever that is) that your Great Grandchildren will probably be forced to ask ……. what we’re those old bastards thinking & how are we (2189 AD) citizens going to pay off this debt.
Remember – you are to blame, quit bitching, attend council meetings and ask WHY?
I’m sorry, this post is almost 7 years old, your comment is insulting and nonsensical – why don’t you read some current posts, drink a cup of coffee, and get back into the conversation?