ARGUMENT AGAINST MEASURE G

The City of Long Beach has been charging residents a 5% "Utility User Tax" (UUT) on cell phones since 2006. The city has not been forthright with residents as to the reason that Measure G has been placed on the November 4 ballot, at a cost of $400,000.00 dollars.

I believe Long Beach is in violation Proposition 218, which requires cities to place any new tax on the ballot for voter approval before enacting it. Long Beach has not done this, and has been collecting millions of dollars of taxpayer money, in possible violation of Proposition 218.

The city states the reason for the UUT revision is; the incorporation of new and evolving technologies to ensure the users of older technologies are not unfairly burdened by UUT, that is not the whole story. Some additional reasons for the UUT revisions are: (1) the City is being sued for allegedly collecting taxes on Wireless Communications Devices (cell phones); (2) pending Federal legislation that would put a moratorium on new wireless communication taxes for 3 years;

and (3) the city will be able to tax new and evolving technologies without future voter approval.

The Howard Jarvis Association has brought a test case against the City of Sacramento for this alleged illegal tax. If the suit is successful many cities in California, including Long Beach, will have to refund millions of dollars to resident cell phone users.

The city is careful to say the tax rate will not increase; what they fail to say is by expanding the taxable technologies through Measure G; i.e.., texting, your taxes may/will increase.

Once again, Long Beach City Officials have been disingenuous with residents as to why they want to get voter approval after the fact for revision of the Utility User Tax (Measure G). Vote No on "G"

TOM STOUT
Long Beach Taxpayer Association