Newsom champions S.F. tax measures

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 10/30/4 | Rachel Gordon

[SmithL]

There aren't many places in the United States where a politician could propose tax increases on consumers and businesses and still be viewed as fiscally moderate. But San Francisco isn't like most places.

"This is not an easy choice. Taxes never are, but neither are budget cuts, '' said Mayor Gavin Newsom.

With the backing of the Board of Supervisors, the mayor is sponsoring two tax measures on Tuesday's ballot that he said are crucial to keeping intact such city services as drug treatment for the homeless and the Muni transit system.

"While the state and federal governments are getting out of the business of helping people, we are left with the reality,'' said Newsom. "What we're saying is that there's a line in the sand we don't want to cross.''

Opponents say these proposed tax hikes are the wrong way to fix the city's financial troubles.

Newsom, acting as the pitchman for Propositions J and K, has a lot riding on their fate. Their failure would punch a $97 million hole in the municipal budget over the next 18 months, a prospect the mayor calls "devastating.''

The election also could be looked at as a test of Newsom's ability as a leader to sell an unpopular proposal -- he concedes that raising taxes falls into that category -- to voters.

Pre-election polling shows the measures trailing

[SmithL]

A Dem supporting a tax increase. Now, there's a surprise.

[Pikamax]

I enjoy dem tax increases when it's kept to dem sinkholes like San Franciso.

[Founding Father]

Budget cuts are hard, really hard.

[skip_intro]

"This is not an easy choice. Taxes never are, but neither are budget cuts, '' said Mayor Gavin Newsom

What's a budget cut? I don't believe that I've ever seen one.

[Mr. Jeeves]

San Francisco is still spending 200 million a year on the so-called homeless, much of it paying salaries to "homeless advocates" (who all happen to be loyal political allies of leftist members of the Board of Supervisors). City employee unions are among the greediest in the nation, and salary/benefit packages for city employees are outrageously high.

A Rudy Giuliani-type could straighten out this city in six months - Newsom is just pouring more gasoline on the fire. He's only moderate in comparison to his defeated challenger Matt Gonzalez, who would be right at home on Fidel Castro's Central Committee.

[hermgem]

Has Newsome ever heard the word privatization?
A dirty word, but the way to get out of an ever and ever larger deficit hole.
Once money rolls in, spending keeps leaping ahead, unstoppable.
There's always another worthy cause these additional confiscatory measures are supposed to heal.
Newsome, stop feeding your reelection machine with an ever expanding base serving your future elections.

[SmithL]

To Newsom's credit, as a Supervisor, he championed "Care Not Cash." When the rest of the Politboro and their bought-&-paid-for Judge rejected it, he ran for Mayor. He was elected because of Care Not Cash, and he did implement it.

There, I've actually said something nice about Newsom. I'm going to go brush my teeth, now.

[vpintheak]

Why is that turd still in charge and not in prison?

[Simmy2.5]

What isn't surprising is that the Gay Dim mayor supports these tax hikes.

What is surprising...
Pre-election polling shows the measures trailing.

IN LIBERAL SAN FRANCISCO!

[Jimbaugh]

I say we have a 100% tax on everything in SF. Then the Democrats can all have the world that they deserve.