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Here Are Your Responses To Our Survey On City Council's Recent Actions In Putting A Measure On June Ballot To Increase LB's Sales Tax To 10% (Currently 9% in Lakewood/Signal Hill, 8% in Most OC Cities)


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(Feb. 26, 2016, 11:45 a.m.) -- On Feb. 25 at 10:00 a.m., LBREPORT.com invited readers to respond to a five question survey regarding recent City Council actions related to putting a measure on the June ballot that would raise LB's sales tax to 10% (which is 9% in Lakewood/Signal Hill and 8% in most OC cities.) We provide below the results as of Feb. 26 at 11:05 a.m.

First, some methodology. The survey wasn't "scientific." It wasn't a statistically random sample; it invited readers to choose themselves and used the quick SurveyMonkey platform.

It also focused -- very deliberately -- on two aspects of the issue (one of which to our knowledge no other LB news outlet has reported as of dawn Feb. 26): the wording of the text that the City Council voted (Feb. 23, 8-0, Austin absent) to show voters on their ballots (graphic below.) That wording lists multiple desirable uses although the tax measure itself doesn't list those uses and thus doesn't legally guarantee any of them. It's a general tax that current and future Councils can spend on any general fund items. Adding the words "and maintain general services" to the ballot text shown to voters ensures the measure is a "general tax" that current and future Councils can spend on any general fund items they choose.:


We also asked about actions of Councilmembers Mungo and Supernaw, which have been reported elsewhere, who on Feb. 16 supported adding what they called a Citizens Advisory Committee [in Feb. 23 City Att'y text: to be chosen by the Mayor, approved by the Council.] On Feb. 23, Councilman Supernaw added (without Council resistance) a city management level review process plus additional reports to the Council. In addition, the Council approved a resolution reciting its current "intent" to spend the tax on public safety and infrastructure items, but in the same resolution also stated that its resolution won't be legally binding on itself or others.

Our survey wasn't a "push poll." ("Did you know candidate X is a bed-wetting, child-molesting Communist?") We accurately cited relevant and sometimes legalistic text. However, we did transparently seek answers to questions that would show if the pointed issues we raised were relevant or irrelevant to respondents.

Below are the results after 25 hours:


Q1: On Feb. 23, the City Council voted 8-0 (Austin absent) to print text on voters' ballots listing various public safety and infrastructure uses in seeking voter approval to raise LB's sales tax to 10% (currently 9% in Lakewood/Signal Hill and 8% in most OC cities.) But the Council didn't list those uses in the legally binding tax text that voters will actually be enacting. The Council's action means that the tax would be a "general tax" that the current and future Councils can spend on any general fund items they choose. Knowing this, will be you be:

MORE LIKELY to vote for the tax increase? 22.00%
LESS LIKELY to vote for the tax increase? 75.00%
No opinion. 3.00%

Q2: Knowing that the City Council (Feb. 23) didn't include the items it represents to voters on the ballots in the actual tax text they're asking voters to approve, thus letting the current Council and future Councils spend the tax on any general fund items they wish, are you:

MORE LIKELY to trust your Council member on other items? 14.14%
LESS LIKELY to trust your Council member on other items? 72.73%
No effect on your attitude toward your Council member.: 13.13%

Q3: The CA Constitution includes provisions added by voters (Prop 13/Prop 218) to guarantee spending tax revenue on specific items if they're included in the tax measure and approved by a 2/3 vote of the people. No Long Beach Council member has proposed doing so. On Feb. 16, Council members Mungo and Supernaw supported adding a "Citizens Advisory Committee" (Mayor chosen, Council approved per Feb. 23 text) that could make "recommendations" but without legal power to control spending the tax. On Feb. 23, Councilman Supernaw added management review and additional reports to the Council. Knowing this, do you believe Council members Mungo and Supernaw's actions

Provide meaningful taxpayer protections on how the tax would be spent? 23.91%
Invite voters to approve the tax without providing legal guarantees on how the tax is spent? 58.70%?
No opinion. 17.39%

Q4: The Council has adopted a non-binding resolution stating it expresses its "intent" to prioritize spending of the tax revenue as follows: Future [revenue from the tax] "may be spent" on the costs of "providing public safety services, consisting of: police patrol, response, investigation, apprehension and law enforcement, emergency 9-1-1 response, fire prevention and suppression services, paramedic services, and ambulance services" and "may also be spent" on the costs of "improving and maintaining streets, sidewalks and alleys and improving and upgrading storm water- storm drain systems." However, the same resolution states "it is not the City Council's intent to convert the [proposed tax] into a 'special tax'" as that term is legally defined and is "non-binding on any future or subsequently constituted City Council" and "the tax shall remain a 'general tax' as that term is defined." Knowing this, do you believe the Council's non-binding resolution

Provides meaningful taxpayer protections on how the tax would be spent? 26.67%
Invites voters to approve the tax increase without providing meaningful legal guarantees on how the tax would be spent? 65.56%
No opinion. 7.78%

Q5: Please let us know who your Council member is and your general neighborhood (major cross streets are fine) and your opinion of your Council member's on the proposed tax increase. And thank you.

[70% responded to this question, some listed their neighborhood but no comments; 30% skipped; we list below those who offered comments; these are only from the first 100 received before exceeding the survey platform's free text response capacity.]

Al Austin. Orange/San Antonio. Fix the darn alleys behind banner dr....lots of tax payers live there...both house and apt.

Stacy Mungo-clark/willow I believe in this tax to help public safety, especially help get the resources back for the LBFD

Supernaw, Atherton and Palo Verde, not very happy about it, 10 percent sales tax will hurt some small businesses that are still trying to recover from the recession, but this is long Beach and if you are on the brink of failure why would they care, this city is ran by a bunch of heartless robots.

I no longer live in Long Beach but I did live in the 8th District for 30 years until 2013. The Council is choosing NOT to trust and educate their constituents so that they would approve a special tax (2/3 vote required for passage).

Mungo. El Dorado Park South. Not too concerned on the 1% increase in the sales tax, but the LBCC $25 per $100,000 assessed valuation on house value is a real bummer.

Supernaw - Traffic Circle. This should have been a parcel tax since property owners stand to benefit most for its passage, but without it, we might as well move as LB will become a 3rd world City....get over the Civic Center - it was a bad decision, but vote them out over it, don't ruin our City.

Price, bluff park. All for it. This survey is seriously the most loaded, absurdly nonscientific poll i have ever seen.

Al Austin - Carson and Orange. First approval from minimum wage increase, now sales tax? As a small business owner, I will be forced to close my doors once $13 hour hits. Sales tax increase just ads fuel to the fire.

Mungo. Norwalk and Wardlow. I do want more police officers on the street protecting my family. However, I am tired of being taxed and will not support this or any tax hike. The city council needs to find another way to put more officers on the street.

Rep - Stacy Mungo/district 5 Neighborhood - Carson & Clark ~ I think this is deliberately deceitful of the council, saying it "may" be used for thus & such so that it will be in voters' minds to vote for a heavier tax burden that will be a discouragement to small businesses in the city. They know full well that it also "may NOT" be spent on such things. Funding a glorious new city hall for them, maybe? How about the oversized pension liability? No, I don't believe them.

Mungo dist 5 Woodruff/Willow I am opposed to a tax increase.

Supernaw Atherton and Palo Verde I think the elected City Government behind this will witness a resounding 'NO' vote for this new unallocated tax revenue. Really, you want a 10% sales tax rate, when I can go into OC and buy all the same stuff at a 2% discount? Get with it, find another way to increase revenue.

1. Mungo 2. Studebaker & Spring 3. Buh bye Stacey.

Mungo - District 5. I agree with the tax increase proposal.

Mungo. For all the complaining about tax leakage, seems like she should have pointed out flaws in sales tax idea

Bungler Mungo. She has let us down so far....

Mungo. El Dorado Park Estates. I believe they are intending to deceive the voters with the wording of the ballot measure and will not vote for this person again.

Gonzalez, Chestnut/9th. I support a tax that would only go towards police/fire. I do not support a general tax that will most likely pay for those things.

No new taxes. Live within revenues already received. Time to change those people out who support open ended taxes.

Roberto Uranga, Cal Heights. And what about on-line purchases? Have items delivered to OC or Lakewood and pay less tax?

I live in the 7th Dist. California Hghts. Uranga is councilperson. This tax increase is only meant to make up for their reckless spending.

Suzie Price. Belmont Shore. Ps I am really angry about this proposed tax increase. If we could stop wasting money on bike lanes and round abouts, and use for these other more important things, we would have something. This is crazy!

Mungo; will vote NO

No way this will pass.

Supernaw. Reside near Plaza Zaferia, Redondo Ave. & PCH. Commend Supernaw for his courageous vote.

Mungo 5th district Lakewood Village An increased proposed tax is ridiculous! I will spend my money in neighboring cities if this goes forward, including our family decision to buy a car in the upcoming months.

I think it's Lowenthal? Am in retro row area how dare you illegally Jack the tax when we already pay too much and get very little in return how dare you. This sales tax is more than other cities so we'll just take our shopping to other cities And the jacking of the property tax which is already more than twice my mortgage payment will absolutely be the last straw and regrettably will have to sell and move. This is a joke. The corrupt city council is blatantly now just hiking Taxes with or without voter approval (as if our votes were counted anyway) and now they will just be doing whatever they want with the extra money so it will go straight into their pockets What have they been doing with all the tax revenue already that all of a sudden need more? Without accountability. There needs to be a comprehensive Audit and Explanation of what they have already done with our money and where it has gone

My council member is Supernaw and I live at Palo Verde and Stearns. I'm extremely disappointed in him on this issue and his previous voting record. I am appalled that he's asking economically struggling taxpayers to pay more and that, so he can "sleep better at night," he's creating a totally useless citizen advisory committee. As if they'll listen to this committee when they're not listening to the citizens right now. What this will do is fund things which should be funded by the general budget and leave more money in the general budget to fund things like, I assume, the new city hall. I have to buy a refrigerator in the near future. I usually try to buy things in L.B. but with a two percent higher tax, why not go to Orange County or other neighboring cities with lower taxes?

Council member: Austin Neighborhood - central Bixby Knolls: Carson at Atlantic Very poor opinion of Council member's stance on tax

Uranga I do not trust the Councils decision to Tax us more for the same services we already pay for! The question is why are we always in this position. Chestnut and 31st

3rd District/Belmont Park Orange County has a lower tax rate... I'll vote with my car tires... shop OC

Price and Studebaker/7th Street. and am very angry about the proposed tax

Mungo - sell out!

Mr. Supernaw, Fanwood and Atherton. Will not vote for increases given failure of current council to conservatively administer the current budget and their failure to listen to neighborhoods on airport issues.

Enough tax already, stop it

Mungo; Conant & Stearnlee Think we need a new councilwoman....Gerrie would never stand for such an item

Lowenthal, and she understands the needs of the City/District

Gonzalez - West Gateway -- I don't like the opinions of any of the Council people. "Trust us" just doesn't make sense to me. Especially since the current Council will have new members during the 10 years -- none of whom are bound by anything the current Council says.

Mungo. Palo Verde and Conant. We need to restore Fire Resources that were cut and give police enough officers to protect us

Lowenthal. 4th/Junipero. Should be explicitly allocated to public safety and/or infrastructure repair

I don't know who my council member. Neighborhood downtown Long Beach, 3rd/Elm. As a renter and single, I personally am already living paycheck to paycheck and a lot of people have it worse than I do. Raising the sales tax higher than any of the surrounding areas is ridiculous and since I work in Orange County, I will definitely switch to shopping there as well.

Council District 1 unfavorable opinion I will vote AGAINST any tax increase!

Supernaw Los Altos suprised he voted for proposed tax increase wont vote for him again

Alamitos beach No more taxation

Councilmember Mungo I no longer trust her or any of her colleagues to spend taxpayers' money on priorities like public safety vs. non-essentials like a new city hall building OR to care about what her/their constituents have to say. A citizens' commission would be a sham, just as other such committees have been under this mayor and council.

7th District, Uranga, Cal Heights. The Coyotes (council) pretending to be Wolves, but they won't ever show the taxpayers what their true intentions are. Therefore they are cowards, so as keeping with our city wide vermin problem, they are coyotes! Steeling from the Sheep, we need more real wolves protecting our beloved city! Taxing us 2% more than our neighboring cities is preposterous, especially with our history of dishonesty and where the money will be spent. Time we weed the city of these Coyotes!

Regressive tax. Worst form of raising revenues.

Mungo Spring & Palo Verde No council member considers the affect on taxpayers before voting on anything.


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