The Scarlet Measure: how a promotional flier in LA hides the shameful, tax-hiking truth about Measure A

Image generated using Dall-E

A sexy mailer recently went out to Angelenos, promising them a homeless redo. It didn’t disclose that Measure A adds a half cent sales tax for six LA cities. Special interests must hope this subterfuge can convince a bare majority, because that’s all they need—no more two-thirds supermajority if you call yourself a “citizens’ initiative,” like SF’s 2018 commercial rent tax. If only we had a way to identify a cheater. LA Times’s Doug Smith reports.

A campaign flier arriving in mailboxes around Los Angeles County promotes a ballot measure that would mandate “a new approach to expand programs that are proven to prevent homelessness and increase housing affordability.”

What it doesn’t say is that the measure is a tax and that it would double the quarter-cent sales tax that funds the existing approach.

Sign up to receive updates on Opp Now articles. Click HERE.

If adopted, Measure A would add a quarter-cent to the sales tax in most cities and unincorporated areas. But in six cities the tax will increase a half-cent because their sales tax rates were at the maximum when the earlier measure went into effect. A recent change in state law has allowed their rates to increase.

The measure, which qualified for the ballot through a signature campaign, requires only a simple majority for passage under court rulings that the voter-approved requirement of two-thirds majority for tax increases imposed by government does not apply to citizen initiatives.

Campaign finance records filed with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder show two committees behind the measure have raised just under $4 million, with United Way contributing $1,580,000.

Read the whole thing here.

Related:

• Inspecting the black hole of SJ's homeless spending

• Opinion: Look at our streets; “harsher” homelessness/crime solutions are both warranted and kind

• Regional and statewide homeless counts not reliable, say experts

Follow Opportunity Now on Twitter @svopportunity

Sign up to receive updates on Opp Now articles

Email Address:

First Name:

Last Name:

Opp Now enthusiastically welcomes smart, thoughtful, fair-minded, well-written comments from our readers. But be advised: we have zero interest in posting rants, ad hominems, poorly-argued screeds, transparently partisan yack, or the hateful name-calling often seen on other local websites. So if you've got a great idea that will add to the conversation, please send it in. If you're trolling or shilling for a candidate or initiative, forget it.