Well, Happy Anniversary Chico Taxpayers Association – today I paid the annual fee for the blog, and as of January, this blog has been running for 11 years. And there’s been a lot of people who have contributed over the years, thankyouverymuch (say it like Elvis).
I started this blog when the city of Chico floated the cell phone tax – Measure J – onto the ballot, like a big turd. With the efforts of the Chico Tea Party (now defunct), Butte County Libertarians, Chico Republican Women, and many individuals, that measure was defeated. All it took was getting out there and informing the public of the details. Ann Schwab, then mayor and lead proponent of the tax, tried to tell people that the measure would actually lower the utility tax. They will say whatever they want, it takes research and a lot of push back to get the truth out there.
We faced the same kind of misinformation campaign from Chico Area Recreation District Measure A, a parcel tax. We attended meetings and heard CARD director Ann Willman, well, dropping some little fibs. Like when she tried to tell a group at an “informative” meeting that CARD had no debt, insinuating all the parcel tax money would go to expanding services instead of shoring up poor fiscal management. Dave called her on that one, and she had to admit her error – at that time, the pension deficit for an agency of about 35 employees had reached over $1.7 million.
It’s always shocking to me how the government will lie to get the voters to pass taxes on themselves, but that’s the way it is, and we have to push back. This is what we’re facing with the Taxpayer Protection Act – opponents, led by Governor Gavin Newson, are trying to stop the TPA from being on the 2024 ballot. Newsom himself has mounted a lawsuit, claiming the TPA “represents an illegal attempt to revise the state constitution” and “Administrative agencies would lose the power to do much of the work they do today under legislatively delegated authority.”
If you believe we should have more to say about taxing ourselves, find out more about supporting the Taxpayer Protection Act at https://taxpayerprotection.com/
Chico Taxpayers Association 
Thanks for the blog. I’ve said many times that what we lack is civic engagement. Blogs like this bring the issues out of the dark back room and into the light. Even if I don’t agree always, I think a well thought out opinion is valuable.
How can we have two idiots leading the race for president, and so many politicians of such low caliber? Because of low engagement. Taken a step further, nobody cares. But you do. And that’s a good thing.
And remember that If you are going to ice skate this winter, those orange plastic skates really suck, so wear thick socks.
It’s disheartening to see Governor Newsom take such a stance against the Taxpayer Protection Act. Advocating for fiscal responsibility should be a shared goal, and legal disputes only hinder progress. Instead of resorting to lawsuits, fostering open dialogue and collaboration would be a more constructive approach. The focus should be on finding common ground for the benefit of taxpayers. Let’s hope for a resolution that prioritizes the financial well-being of the people.
Thanks Isabella I agree. It seems suspicious to me – Newsom just wants to be able to send us a bill whenever he finds himself short. In Chico they’ve passed a 50%+1 sales tax even when they expected to receive $40 million plus in “disaster relief” for another town that burned down. Paradise really should have got that money, but Chico stuck their fist in the pot and TOOK This money was never disclosed during the Measure H tax campaign, the city cried poormouth throughout the entire election.
I will try to look for resolution but I think that will come only after a good turnout of our city council here in Chico. Our elected leaders seem to believe that they can throw money at anything.
We have had enough and we bought a place in Arizona and we are moving in January. The biggest reason is fire insurance available and cost. We don’t know how long we will be able to afford insurance and our kids can’t afford to buy a house. The politicians are killing Prop.13 for raising property taxes and sales tax continues growing higher. The only people doing well in California are illegals and government employees. Even if we left our property to our children they couldn’t afford to pay for insurance and taxes at the rate they increasing.
I am the last of 5 brothers born in Ca. and I’ve had enough too and I’m leaving my dream home to be free of Newsom.
Well, I’ll tell you Tim – my husband and I are in the same position. The taxes and insurance on our Chico home and rentals have become an onerous burden. The street in front of our house is a tire hazard. There have been robberies and break-ins within blocks of our house.
But I’ll also say, you can run but you can’t hide. We, frankly, can’t really figure out where to go, that they don’t have their own problems. And if you are fleeing Newsom, you better be ready to bug out again in 4 years – he’s running for President. California is the place for me. I’m drawing my line in the dirt and I’m spitting in my hands, saying, “I ain’t gonna hit ya, no I ain’t gonna hit ya – oh, the hell I’m not!”. I will miss your kind words.
God I miss The Duke.