Villaraigosa's Budget INCREASES Taxes
AND Spending
By Walter Moore, Candidate For Mayor of Los Angeles,
WalterMooreForMayor.com
Posted April 22, 2008
Have you heard how Villaraigosa has made tough budget cuts
to deal with "the deficit?"
Don't believe it for a minute. If you read the
Mayor's budget documents for yourself, you'll see that Villaraigosa's budget
calls for even higher taxes and higher spending than last year's
all-time highs.
Last year's budget called for $6.768 billion -- that's billion with a "b"
-- in taxes and spending. This year's budget calls for $7.010 billion in
taxes and spending -- up $242 million.
So please don't fall for any press releases or news stories talking about budget
cuts. Spending is going up, not down.
Has Villaraigosa's non-stop spending spree helped or hurt the city?
Well, Villaraigosa's own budget shows that the unemployment rate in our city
has risen much higher (6.7%) than in the county (5%), state (5.4%) or nation
(4.6%).
Judging from the most recent data in the budget, moreover, the median
after-tax "effective buying income" in our city ($34,480) is lower
than in the county ($39,414), the state ($43,915) and the nation ($39,324).
Those figures, moreover, pre-date Villaraigosa's increases in the trash fees and
DWP rates.
And our city is more crowded than ever: we now have over 4 million people
crammed into 469 square miles. Over 11,000 permits were issued for
multi-family construction last year. How's all that "elegant density" speeding
your commute, my friend?
You really need a new Mayor. To find out how to help elect yours truly, click
here:
how to help.