Californians to Watch: Jon Coupal leads Howard Jarvis group into tax war

Sacramento Bee ^ | 12/29/11 | Torey Van Oot

[SmithL]

What to expect in 2012? Jon Coupal is preparing for "nuclear war." As the president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Coupal will play a critical role in the effort to defeat any tax increases up for a vote next year.He'll also be on the offensive. His group has proposed a spending limit and is backing another measure to curb unions' political influence by banning paycheck deductions to build campaign war chests. Fighting revenue measures at the ballot box is not new turf for the 56-year-old leader of the group founded by Howard Jarvis, the driving force behind Proposition 13. Coupal has served at the helm for the last 10 years, scoring victories as voters rejected seven statewide tax increase proposals. The nonprofit bills itself as a grassroots organization and raised $6.7 million in 2009, according to its tax filing. But Coupal notes he's been outspent before, and has on his side a mailing list of 200,000 members – a third of whom he says are Democrats – and anti-tax credibility that comes with the Jarvis name. He said he'll try to exploit a Legislature that lacks the confidence of Californians."The Legislature does these crazy things. It's a very easy sell to the voters to say, 'They want more money from you, while they're (giving staff raises), while they're doing high-speed rail, while they're doing, quite frankly, the Dream Act,'

[eyeamok]

I like them, but I do not believe they are going far enough. For me when Moonbeam wants to RAISE the Income Tax, I say we put a measure on the ballot to ABOLISH it Altogether. When They say we need to raise Property Taxes we should put a measure on the ballot to ABOLISH IT. Every time they put a ballot measure up to raise an existing tax the only response should be to put a measure on the ballot to ABOLISH IT. See what happens then. My way will work.

[dragnet2]

The government mob in Sacramento will have better luck juggling flaming chain saws while roller skating, than they would removing Proposition 13.

[5th MEB]

Don't count on it. I have watched my fellow Californians vote yes for some of the stupidest, most insane ballot propositions you could could imagine. I watched them vote away their own water rights, vote for high speed rail to no where, to increase the state sales tax temporarily (it'spermanent), to enact a law to create a commission to prevent the state politicians from gerrymandering the districts, then let them appoint the people on the commission. These are just a few minor examples. I could go on but I don't want to bash my shinny new screen. I will say in closing; NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE STUPIDITY OF THE CALIFORNIA VOTER!

[dragnet2]

They won’t vote to lose their own homes, If ya believe that, you’ll believe anything.

If the state ever tried it, it implodes, sending shockwaves into the rest of the economy. Ya heard it here first.

But ya know what, I almost hope they try it.

[Osage Orange]

The Ninth Circus will just overturn it........

[4Liberty]

Raise tax rates on a shrinking base (private homeowner property values). To support stable, monthly union pension payouts. Private sector on Public sector smack down coming...