Thread: Californians say ‘no more taxes’

Californians say ‘no more taxes’

January 26th, 2010, 6:00 am ·
by Jan Norman, small-business columnist

California’s voters overwhelmingly (94%) say the state budget crisis is very serious. But only 28% want to solve the problem by raising taxes, according to pollster Rasmussen Reports.

The most popular solution, favored by 43% of those polled, is to cut state services and 15% say the state should go bankrupt, for which there’s no legal mechanism. And 14% admit they’re unsure what to do.

It’s little wonder that so few favor more taxes. According to the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, a Washington D.C. advocacy group, California’s ranking among the states for various taxes is:

•1st in gasoline taxes
•2nd in diesel fuel taxes
•2nd top individual capital gains tax rate
•3rd top personal income tax rate
•7ths top corporate capital gains tax rate
•8th top corporate income tax rate
•21st in sales/gross receipts/excise taxes
•34th in property tax

That final ranking is the lingering impact of Proposition 13 passed by voters in 1978, which politicians eye from time to time when trolling for more money. And the ranking for sales tax explains why the legislature hiked sales taxes last February when the state budget was also in crisis.

Note that most small businesses, including some corporations and limited liability companies, pay taxes as individuals.

http://jan.freedomblogging.com/2010/01/ ... xes/30079/

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