Chico Chamber started marketing their proposed sales tax increase measure five years ago. Below is the link to their “Special Report,” the product of five years of committees, task forces, clandestine surveys, and other ploys recommended by various consultants.
Below is the link to their “Special Report”.
They list four “priorities for Chico – “police, roads, pensions and fire.” Don’t let the order in which they are listed fool you – that’s not indicative of priority. $3 million for the cops, $90 million for roads, and $130 million for pensions.
The report summary says the Chamber would like to get the public involved in the discussion, but given the way Katie Simmons has scheduled the “community meetings,” there really hasn’t been much public participation – mostly Chamber and City officials.
The Chamber wants a sales tax increase to pay for all this stuff. Do you really want to pay for the pensions? You’ve already paid more than the employees.
Read that “special” report here:
Chico Taxpayers Association 
Juanita, as far as I can figure most of the members of Chico Chamber of Commerce are businesses that do not collect sales tax, like consulting firms. I only saw two businesses on their website that collect sales tax, restaurants. No grocery stores, or other types of retail businesses that the public uses. I haven’t seen a complete list of their membership But they have quite a few members that don’t collect any sales tax whatsoever and would be unaffected by a sales tax increase.
Thanks Rob, that’s interesting. I’ll try to find a membership roster.
That would explain alot.
I think this will be a bad move for Chico retail. Katie has complained about leakage and internet shopping in past, what does she think a move like this is going to do? They seem to think they can shame people into paying more – where’s the public sector sense of shame?
Thanks Mardi, good question. How could decent people try to pull a scam like this?
I hope you don’t mind if luse that in my next letter to the editor !
They seem to think they can shame people into paying more – where’s the public sector sense of shame?
Wow, great gift idea for all our like minded friends!