Davis eyes reversing car-fee rise

[twilight]

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Davis eyes reversing car-fee rise
RECALL ISSUE: He wants to recoup lost income by increasing other taxes

Lynda Gledhill, Christian Berthelsen, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau Wednesday, August 13, 2003

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Sacramento -- Gov. Gray Davis, hoping to head off higher vehicle license fees that will be collected just days before the recall election, said Tuesday he supports a plan to reverse the increase and make up the revenue with other taxes.

The plan, floated by Assembly Democratic leaders, would eliminate the car- tax hike while raising taxes on high wage earners, cigarettes and possibly alcoholic drinks.

"I think that is a good idea," Davis said at an event in Los Angeles. "I'm saying if we can find a legal way to reduce the car tax while raising the taxes that I proposed in my budget in January, I would support it, because I never intended for this burden to fall solely on the motorists of California."

Democrats say they are exploring whether they can do the swap with a simple majority vote because it is "revenue-neutral." Exchanging one tax for the other, they say, might not be considered raising taxes "for the purpose of raising revenue," which requires a two-thirds vote and likely would be blocked by Republicans.

Republican legislative leaders immediately attacked the plan, saying it would be illegal. But if Democrats aggressively push the swap, they would force GOP lawmakers to take a stand on repealing the unpopular vehicle license fee.

more ...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/08/13/MN295190.DTL

[David__77]

1. This has been in the works for a while...

and they need to make it the first order of business. Any Republican opposing it can be said to oppose working class tax relief. Take that, fascists!

[twilight]

2. Davis did not want to raise them anyway!

If I remember right, he did not want to raise the VLFs - it was a last resort and apparently he was pressured into this by the repigs.

In any event, I hope that this helps Gray Davis. He does not deserve the treatment he is getting. For that matter, no one but *, deserves such treatment!

:dem:

[PROGRESSIVE1]

3. Davis did not want to raise the vehicle tax in the first place!

I think that this shows that he is serious about not taxing the working people to death like Bush HAS DONE!!!!


:kick: