Debate Over Prop. 172
* In the sample ballot that was delivered to voters last week, the argument in favor of Proposition 172 says that this is not a new tax. This is a blatant lie.
The original half-cent tax was supposed to be a temporary measure that was to expire in July of 1993. Pete Wilson and Willie Brown agreed to extend this tax to January, 1994. Now we get to vote to make this a permanent tax.
This is a tremendous coup by the politicians in Sacramento. They got us to accept a temporary tax and then they convince us to vote to make it permanent. We cannot blame them because we voted for it. The worst part of this is that if your county does not vote to keep this tax, and the state as a whole does, you still have to pay the tax--and the state keeps the money.
The real beauty for the politicians in Sacramento is that not only are they not guilty of imposing this tax, but they may get a nice windfall from it as well. We have to send a message to Sacramento. We are not fooled by their trickery. We know that they are responsible for this new tax, and we are not going to accept it.
ANDREW MAGITZ
Santa Ana
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