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Letter to Governor Brown
Dear Governor Brown,
My name is Malcolm C. Lunn,
President of United Small Business of California.
We are a small business organization with an underlying
membership of approximately 5000 members.
As you know, Gov. Brown, California
was once the engine of American growth and opportunity,
but in the last 30 years we have steadily shed
businesses, jobs and people. Our state has the
daunting task of filling a $28 billion budget
hole over the next 18 months. We, along with New
York and Illinois, are unfortunately considered
the perfect dysfunctional models of "the
modern welfare/regulatory state." And Sacramento,
dominated by the politicized troika of environmentalists,
trial lawyers and government employee unions who
once again got you elected, will continue to push
an agenda of strict regulations and income redistribution.
I have enclosed information
derived from the annual 2011 national survey by
the Tax Foundation, which shows California’s
dismal business tax climate overall and by various
tax categories.
California- Overall- 49th
Corporate tax- 33rd
Individual income tax- 48th
Sales Tax – 49th
Property Tax – 16th (lower due to Proposition
13)
Unemployment Insurance – 14th
And the recent Home Foreclosure
Survey lists California at #1 in home foreclosures.
We, at United Small Business,
will take this information to the voting public,
and we demand that you use this information to
subdue your liberal allies, remorseless and unrepentant,
who still dominate the legislature. They are going
to demand more tax increases and expect you to
try to sell the time-worn canard to the voters
that only a TEMPORARY sales tax and state income
tax hike will avoid a financial meltdown of epic
proportions with subsequent cuts in schools, parks
and public safety funding.
With our state government’s
propensity for imposing taxes as an answer to
shortfalls, our state has been in economic Hades
for years. Deficits follow deficits, and, I repeat,
our 2 year budget shortfall is now over $28 billion.
We have also accumulated IOU'S of over $85 billion.
The trick plays have been exhausted and Washington,
D. C. and the American taxpayer is not going to
bail us out of this mess.
You made the choice, Governor
Brown, after the wake of Proposition 13 (which,
I must commend you, -you made a valiant effort
to defeat), to not insist that local governments
readjust to their new fiscal realities. Proposition
13 demanded that local property taxes be cut by
the equivalent of 22% of local spending by schools,
cities, and counties. Your choice softened their
harsh reality by bailing out local governments
from state coffers.
The results are in, Governor,
that decision enabled the local governments to
reap a fiscal harvest—instead of cutting
spending and reducing services, local governments
increased spending and expanded services! Compared
to other states, California's local governments
spend more than average, despite local revenues
being much lower than the national average. The
state has been making up the difference. We, at
United Small Business, say this HAS TO END!
Governor, there is a battle
raging between the revenue generators (business)
and the city, county, and state employee unions
who keep demanding "more, please." In
addition, illegal aliens (cost to state $22 billion
a year) feel entitled to the benefits of US citizenship,
including unfunded health, education and municipal
services. We firmly believe, Governor, that right
now our state is ungovernable. Our system is broken
at inadequate requisite levels. The state government,
we feel, no longer serves the people of California--the
purpose of state government now focuses upon "WEALTH
REDISTRIBUTION". After 50 years of steady
indoctrination by California's media and education
establishment, socialism has found a home with
the Legislature and the Unions.
We leave you with this quote
"The trouble with socialism is that it always
runs out of other people’s money". We
thank you for taking the time to read our letter,
and next month we shall send you our "California's
Contract With Business."
Sincerely,
Malcolm Lunn
President
United Small Business of California
United Small
Business
Proclaming Liberty to America's Small Business
P O Box 3132 St. Charles, IL 60174 - unitedsmallbus1@aol.com
Phone - 877/ 535-4 USB Fax - 877/ 722-4USB
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