Posted on 03/10/2010 11:34:59 PM PST by CounterCounterCulture
Meg Whitman Supports $112 Billion In Higher Taxes On Californians
Meg Whitman has embraced former Governor Pete Wilson, tapping the man she described as the greatest California governor in memory to be her campaign chairman. Unfortunately, she has also embraced the billions of dollars in higher taxes that Wilson championed as governor.
As governor, Wilson championed a 1.25% increase in the sales tax, which has directly resulted in at least $112 billion in higher taxes for California.
Whitman has not distanced herself from these higher taxes. Instead, Whitman has defended them, saying she trusted Wilson’s judgment and that “every time in history is a different time.” Whitman stands by Wilson’s comments and actions, who threatened to “break arms” and warned Republicans they would be “f—irrelevant” if they did not support higher taxes.
Whitman Has Embraced Wilson And Has Refused To Condemn His Tax Increases, Which Have Cost California Taxpayers At Least $112 Billion:
Whitman Has Described Wilson As The Greatest California Governor In Memory, Claiming That His Tax Increases Made Sense At The Time. “At the same time, Whitman praised former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson for his role in the 1990s budget crisis. She said the tax hikes imposed by Wilson — whom she described as the greatest California governor in memory — made sense at the time, even if they would be inappropriate now.” (Michael Finnegan, “Whitman Unveils Her Stands,” Los Angeles Times, 2/11/09)
•Whitman: “I trust his [Former Gov. Wilson’s] judgment back then.” (Michael Finnegan, “Whitman Unveils Her Stands,” Los Angeles Times, 2/11/09)
When Directly Questioned About Her Support For Wilson In Spite Of His Tax Record, Whitman Noted That “Every Time In History Is A Different Time.” FOX NEWS’ NEIL CAVUTO: “All right, but now let’s go back past the immigration battle to a governor who you have spoken highly of. And that is former Governor Pete Wilson. It’s been a decade since he last sought office, but hiked taxes during that time. Now, you are the woman who is talking about cutting taxes, but one of the guys you compliment is a guy who raised them.” MEG WHITMAN: “Sure. And every time in history is a different time. The choice that has been put before Californians is a false choice, that you either have to cut services, cut firefighters, cut teachers, cut policemen, or raise taxes. It’s a false choice. We have to, first and foremost, make government spending more efficient.” (Fox News’ “Your World With Neil Cavuto,” 5/5/09)
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association’s Jon Coupal Has Noted That Wilson’s Tax Increases Hurt California’s Economy And Did Not Produce The Promised Revenue. “[Jon] Coupal said it hurt, rather than spurred, a California economy that was in recession in the early ’90s. ‘What happened in ‘91 was that it didn’t get the revenue they projected because the tax increases had the effect of further slowing the economy,’ Coupal said.” (Judy Lin, “GOP Toes Party Line On Taxes,” Sacramento Bee, 12/30/07)
Wilson Threatened To “Break Arms” Of Republicans, Who Had To Support Higher Taxes Or Risk Being “F—Irrelevant”:
Wilson Warred With GOP Legislators When He Famously Supported A Tax Increase, Telling Republican Lawmakers To Raise Taxes Or Risk Being “F– Irrelevant.” “Gov. Pete Wilson warred with GOP lawmakers early in his tenure when he endorsed a tax increase to plug a budget deficit, famously telling Republican legislators at a meeting that they had to consider taxes or risk being ‘f — irrelevant.’” (Mark Martin, “Governor, GOP Say Their Spat Is Over,” San Francisco Chronicle, 12/16/05)
•Wilson Also Threatened To “Break Arms” To Get Republicans To Vote For His Tax Increases. “In 1991, then-Gov. Pete Wilson threatened to ‘break arms’ in forcing a handful of Republicans to vote for a package that contained a combination of tax increases and spending cuts.” (Judy Lin, “GOP Toes Party Line On Taxes,” Sacramento Bee, 12/30/07)
In 1991, Gov. Pete Wilson Increased Sales Taxes By 1.25%:
Gov. Wilson’s Tax Hikes Included A 1.25% Increase In The Sales Tax. “Wilson later said the package, which included a 1.25 percent sales tax increase, was a mistake.” (Judy Lin, “GOP Toes Party Line On Taxes,” The Sacramento Bee, 12/30/07)
Gov. Wilson’s 1991 Sales Tax Hikes Included 0.75% In Permanent Increases And 0.5% In Temporary Increases That Were Later Made Permanent. “Sales Tax Increases. AB 2181 (Vasconcellos) increased the sales tax 1.25 percent (of which 0.5% percent was temporary at the time, but was re-imposed in 1993) and repealed exemptions for snack foods, newspapers, magazines, bottled water and fuel used out of state by common carriers (ships, planes and semi trucks, for example).” (David R. Doerr, California’s Tax Machine, 2008, p. 288)
•Gov. Wilson Signed AB 2181 On June 30, 1991. (1991 Cal. Sta. 85)
•Gov. Wilson And The Democrat-Controlled Legislature Later Placed Proposition 172 On The Ballot To Make The Temporary 0.5% Increase Permanent. “Voters will be asked whether the sales tax increase should be permanently extended. The increase was put in place in 1991 on a temporary basis and is scheduled to expire at the end of December. . . Gov. Pete Wilson, a Republican, and the Democrat-controlled Legislature approved the Proposition 172 ballot plan this summer as part of an effort to cope with severe fiscal troubles.” (Dennis Walters, “California,” The Bond Buyer, 9/21/93)
◦Wilson Successfully Championed The Permanent Tax Increase In 1993. “On November 2, 1993, California voters enacted Proposition 172, which established a permanent statewide half-cent sales tax for support of local public safety functions in cities and counties.” (CA Legislative Analyst’s Office, “Proposition 172,” www.lao.ca.gov, 6/9/94)
Since 1991, Gov. Pete Wilson’s Sales Tax Hikes Have Cost Californians Over $112 Billion In 2009 Dollars:
remainder of article with table and links
how about 112 billion in spending cuts instead...
Meg Whitman wouldn’t have had a memory of Ronald Reagan as Governor of California. She was only 12 when he became Governor, and didn’t live in California until he was President.
She knew Wilson, and of the governors during the time she was an adult, he was likely the best governor California has had.
And not to defend her personally, but sales taxes are how most governments pay for services. California spends way too much money, but that’s why they are deep in debt. I don’t KNOW if the total tax burden at the end of Wilson’s term was too high or not, but other states do have higher sales taxes.
$112 billion in taxes since 1993. That’s a few billion a year. And it was in 1993. She isn’t calling for a tax increase now.
This reads like another campaign’s press release.
And by that I mean it probably doesn’t belong in “news/activism”.
I found a chart that showed that California’s TOTAL state/local tax burden in 1993 was 11th in the country, so pretty high, but not the highest.
The sales tax rate after Wilson’s increases (state/local) was 7.25%. Don’t know how that compared to other states. It is currently 8.25%. Virginia is definitely lower.
The article stated: "whom she described as the greatest California governor in memory".
That obviously would not include Governors she had no memory of. She didn't say "Of All Time".
If someone cared, they could ask her if she thinks Wilson was better than Reagan. But the comment attributed to her doesn't give that answer, it only gives a comparison to others she has known.
I understand. If they vote her in there will be no difference because she is not a Republican. Just proves we need to select our own candidates instead of the parties selecting them for us.
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