Doan stands up for Taxpayers

While the rest of the SJCC followed the admonitions of big state union interests, new D7 CM Bien Doan made a thoughtful and considered statement in support of the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act (TPGAA). An excerpt from Doan's Council comments on 2.28 appears below.

I believe the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act should be brought before the council for transparency purposes, specifically because many in the public are not aware of it, and we as a governing body should be willing to adhere to a statewide standard or, better, for new taxes and want to be more accountable and in full sunshine according to the taxpayers of San Jose.

The Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act does nothing more than close tax loopholes at the local level and align municipality to being held to the highest of standard on issues which [employ] our residents’ tax money for public purpose.

It makes it easier for residents to understand how a new tax will impact them financially, what will they get from it, and how long it will last.

California has the largest tax burden of any state, which contributes to the sky-high cost of living we all experience here.

The Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act gives voters the right to vote on all state and local taxes, and… require[s] a two-third majority to approve any new or increased special taxes proposed during a local election.

New state taxes require [a] two-third vote, so should not we want the same standard for local taxes?  

If a measure is good and is needed, then the voter will vote for it overwhelmingly…, as we have seen in previous elections. A vote of 50% + 1 means that almost 50% of the population oppose the law change.

People want transparency. People want to know what they are voting on. Core services will most likely not be impacted; and if they are, perhaps we need to do a better job of governing and budgeting from the dais. I believe in my colleagues up here, both established and new, and I motion for San Jose to support the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act.

(42:52–45:28)

Watch the whole thing here.

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