South Pasadena and Rules for Tax Petitioning

I just can’t believe it. South Pasadena is requiring the property owners in that city who wish to protest two proposed assessment districts to accompany their mailed protest with a “copy of driver’s license or some other form of official identification with sample of signature on the face of the document to verify the signature on the written protest.”

Further, the landscaping and lighting protests will be accepted during the protest hearing July 21, but the fire suppression protests must be filed no later than 5:30 p.m. before the hearing.

Maybe there is a logic in there somewhere, but I fail to find it.

But it is obvious that members of the South Pasadena Taxpayers Assn. cannot go door to door collecting protest signatures unless they carry a copying machine on their back. Perhaps the City Council suspects members of the taxpayers group will engage in massive forgery.

Come on, fellas, the taxpayers association has been involved in numerous petition drives.

According to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., no other city or county in California has ever imposed this ID requirement in the hundreds of attempts to impose similar taxes that they have heard of.

There is no provision in California law requiring such identification.

But not to worry. The South Pasadena powers that be have no problem making up their own laws to suit their own purpose.

The city passed a utility tax last year. Where is that money? Certainly seems to me that (that money) could replace any money Sacramento withholds, if indeed they do.

I suggest South Pasadena city government remember one thing. When they do not believe in and trust their own citizens, those same citizens will not believe in and trust their government.

NORMAN GETCHELL

Pasadena