Free Republic

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is up with its second radio advertisement against Gov. Jerry Brown's November ballot initiative to raise taxes, comparing Brown's tax campaign to street robbery. "Hey, lady, hand over your purse or the schools get it," a voice at the top of the ad says. The ad, an issue-advocacy spot running statewide beginning today, comes as the Democratic governor begins in earnest to campaign for Proposition 30, his proposal to raise the state sales tax and income taxes on California's highest earners. The Democratic governor has characterized the election as a choice between higher taxes and...

Less than a week after Gov. Jerry Brown started using robotic telephone calls and mailers to gather signatures for his ballot initiative to raise taxes, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association plans to launch its anti-tax campaign today on the conservative "John and Ken" talk radio show. The taxpayers group this morning posted a red banner on its website inviting viewers to join a "Don't Sign the Petition" campaign. The banner links to a campaign website opposing Brown's effort to raise the state sales tax and income taxes on California's highest earners.

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....

SAN FRANCISCO - Still smarting from the Legislature's defeat of his tax and jobs plan, Gov. Jerry Brown accused Republican lawmakers tonight of an "unconstitutional delegation of power," saying they are controlled by the anti-tax group Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. "The Republicans in Sacramento have one jockey," Brown said in a fiery speech to about 1,000 nurses at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. The Democratic governor said some Republican senators told him they would like to vote for the measure but couldn't because of the association's political clout. Now, after months of failed negotiations with Republicans, Brown said, "At least...

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association demanded Friday that Controller John Chiang withhold pay from lawmakers and threatened to sue if he does not. The group's president, Jon Coupal, contends that lawmakers must pass a balanced budget to receive pay under voter-approved Proposition 25. He referred to a veto letter in which Gov. Jerry Brown said the Democrats' majority-vote budget was "not a balanced solution" and "not financeable." "If you pay legislators for enacting a phony budget, then you have made Proposition 25's provision prohibiting pay meaningless," Coupal wrote. "We urge you to confirm your intent to withhold pay and force...

Meg Whitman may not be fond of referring to herself as a Republican in her ubiquitous radio ads -- and Steve Poizner was the GOP guv candidate snuggling with the right-wing at the CPAC confab last week along with US Senate candidate Chuck DeVore-- but it was Meg who snagged some big time conservative love Monday when the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Group PAC endorsed her. Wrote HoJar prez Jon Coupal Monday: "High taxes and out-of-control spending have pushed California state government to the brink of bankruptcy, and we need strong leadership to put California back on track. Meg Whitman is...

A group representing California taxpayers gave more than half the state's lawmakers failing grades in its annual report card issued Tuesday, only months after the Legislature approved the largest tax cuts in state history. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association gave "F" grades to 73 out of 120 Assembly members and senators, with only 29 receiving "A" grades. The ratings from the fiscally conservative group split along ideological lines, with all of the failing grades going to Democrats, and none to Republicans. "This is a horrible report card," said David Wolfe, legislator director at the association. "It represents all the anger...

Open Space Authority to Return Assessment Funds San Jose, CA, May 29, 2009 – Property owners who have property within the jurisdiction of the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority will soon be able to claim refunds of an assessment charged by the Authority on their real estate tax bills between 2002 and 2008. In 2001, the Authority approved a $20 annual assessment on single-family homes located within the Authority’s territory to help purchase and maintain open space and parkland. Higher amounts were charged for multi-family and commercial properties. The Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and...

As portrayed in the 1970’s movie about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Tora, Tora, Tora, Admiral Yamamoto states, after the attack, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." Turns out there is little historical evidence suggesting that the Admiral said any such thing. However, the line is illustrative of a self-evident truth: You don’t kick a rabid dog; you don’t poke a tiger with a stick; and you don’t walk into a biker bar and start insulting Harleys. In February, a political “deal” was reached regarding the...

With Mika Brzezinski off in the south of France, it looks like Morning Joe has recruited Nancy Snyderman as the show’s reliably liberal voice. Yesterday, as noted here, NBC’s Chief Medical Editor came out squarely for universal health care [and rationing]. Today, Snyderman blamed California’s financial woes on Prop 13–the measure that capped property taxes in the state. NANCY SNYDERMAN: I lived in California for 17 years, and I think the 60s boom was hurt in large part by Prop 13. It froze property taxes. The lauded California [inaudible] went under – That stirred Joe Scarborough into action . ....

Propositions that are on the June 3, 2008 Statewide Direct Primary Election Ballot Initiative Constitutional AmendmentProposition 98 1248. Government Acquisition, Regulation of Private Property. Constitutional Amendment. Proponents: Doug Mosebar, Jon Coupal and Jim Nielsen Bars state and local governments from condemning or damaging private property for private uses. Prohibits rent control and similar measures. Prohibits deference to government in property rights cases. Defines “just compensation.” Requires an award of attorneys fees and costs if a property owner obtains a judgment for more than the amount offered by the government. Requires government to offer to original owner of condemned property...

www.KaloogianForCongress.com(State Assemblyman 1994 – 2000, 74th Assembly District) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, January 31, 2006 Contact: Sal Russo – (916) 441-3734 POWERHOUSE ENDORSEMENT: Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Endorses HOWARD KALOOGIAN For 50th Congressional District (SAN DIEGO) – Republican Congressional Candidate, Howard Kaloogian (website: www.KaloogianForCongress.com ), has been endorsed in his campaign for U.S. Congress by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association PAC. In their letter of support to Kaloogian, the HJTA PAC wrote: “We appreciate your outstanding record of defending Proposition 13 and the interests of taxpayers. We look forward to continuing to work with you in the years ahead.” Kaloogian...

A year after Los Angeles seized three acres from a private company to construct a public building, a city councilman wants to sell the land to another private firm for a commercial development. Both companies are furniture manufacturers. But executives with the company that would buy the land have political connections and have made $17,600 in campaign contributions to key city leaders. Critics of the proposal say it's wrong for the city to use its power of eminent domain to take property from one business for a public purpose and then sell it to another business. "It strikes me as...

...Mr. Schwarzenegger's goals as governor include shaking up Sacramento, where an intransigent legislature beholden to special interests had turned the state into an economic basket case. Arnold does have something to show for his efforts to date, insofar as the fiscal bleeding seems to have stopped. California's credit rating is out of the gutter, and the economy has created a quarter-million new jobs in the past year. Still, important reforms remain unaddressed, and the passage of Proposition 75, also known as "paycheck protection," would go a long way toward ending California politics-as-usual. By forcing public-sector unions to get written permission...

Hey Los Angeles FReepers! Many of you will see the ballot Measure "R" on your November 5th ballot. It is VERY BAD news masked as a "for the children" schools bond. It's really a massive property tax increase to pay for a secret deal for Los Angeles County to place a giant trash docking and shipping station on property that the college would obtain if Measure "R" is approved. Dirty local politics at its worst. Fortunately it has caught the attention of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the National Tax Limitation Committee which are now on board with the...

CALIFORNIA Initiative eyes major cuts in property tax Homeowners' exemption, renters' credit would rise By Ed Mendel STAFF WRITER March 31, 2002 SACRAMENTO – For the first time since voters approved the landmark Proposition 13 nearly a quarter-century ago, major reductions in the property tax are being considered. A proposed initiative and a lawsuit in Orange County are firing up interest among taxpayer groups, but alarming some officials who fear that schools, public safety and other government services could lose billions of dollars. The Republican candidate for governor, Bill Simon, and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association plan to put an...