It apparently is not enough that large parts of Los Angeles have degenerated into open-air sewers, filled with homeless people and grifters, many of them drug addicts, who live – and relieve themselves – on the streets. Now Angelinos are being asked more for the privilege of living among them.
From an unbylined article at breitbart.com:
Los Angeles County introduced a 10.25 percent sales tax on Thursday, four months after voters approved Measure ER.
The Essential Services Restoration Act (Measure ER) overwhelmingly passed in L.A. County earlier this year, raising the sales tax by a half-cent to support health care and other essential services – from 9.75 percent to 10.25 percent.
“For every $100 in taxable purchases, Measure ER adds 50 cents in tax, bringing the total to $110.25,” noted NBC News. “The increase is temporary. Measure ER allows the tax to remain in effect for five years until Oct. 1, 2031 as it is projected to generate about $1 billion annually.”
Supporters of the measure say that it will support roughly 700,000 L.A. County residents dealing with the loss of health insurance as federal funding for Medi-Cal is reduced:
Proponents say Measure ER will provide health care support for those who are losing Medi-Cal so they don’t show up to the local emergency rooms sicker with more serious illnesses.
The federal funding cut will also impact public hospitals and clinics, but if Measure ER passed, it would make up for the lost funds and save some of the public health care facilities and programs.
Critics of the measure, however, charge that it imposes an “unreasonable and unfairly harsh” sales tax in a county with an already high tax. L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger also said that residents are “stretched thin” with one of the highest metropolitan sales taxes in the nation.
Wait; did I read that right? Did voters approve this measure?
Wow. I guess having the highest gas prices in the country isn’t enough. The taxation rate has to be right up there too…
…not that this is going to be a problem for the indigents living/eating/sleeping/peeing/crapping on the streeets, of course. They don’t pay those taxes, they reap the benefits of those taxes. The more tax money forked over by everyone else, the more they may be able to get in free social services.
My favorite part of the above article is the part where it says “this increase is temporary”. Tell me: how often have you heard of an allegedly “temporary” rise in taxes being rescinded when the time came?
If that’s a problem question for you, I’ll substitute it for an easy one: how often have you heard of an allegedly “temporary” rise in taxes being extended? I assume that will be far easier to answer.
The Los Angeles death spiral continues. And, sad to say, it is very much in keeping with the same spiral for other major California cities – San Francisco certainly among them.
Little wonder people – disproportionately productive people – are leaving the state in droves.
