LBReport.com

News / Details / Perspective

Mayor Garcia's Sales-Tax-Hike Committee Sent Multiple Mailers That Didn't Tell Recipients Its Major Funding Came From Police/Fire Unions (Preparing To Negotiate New Contracts); We Ask About This And Committee Treasurer Says...


LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. Support independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.
(May 6, 2016, 6:46 p.m.) -- On or about April 20, Long Beach voters began receiving mass mailings from the "Mayor Garcia, Foster & O'Neill Committee to Support Measures A & B to Protect Police & Fire and Repair Infrastructure in Long Beach." Publicly filed documents show (and LBREPORT.com reported in April) that the Committee, which in its paperwork identifies Mayor Garcia as the elected official controling the committee, received $50,000 from the LB Firefighters Association PAC on April 3, and $100,000 from the LB Police Officers Association PAC on April 11.

LB's police and firefighter unions are preparing to negotiate new contracts with the City in the months following the June 2016 election. In 2015, the City Council voted to extend a contract with the city's other major public employee union (IAM, representing non-public safety employees) until the second half of 2016 (after the June 2016 election.)

Materials on the CA Fair Political Practice Commission indicate (at this link and this link) that local ballot measure committees are supposed to disclose on mass mailings when they receive "Major Funding" from any entity that contributes over $50,000.

The Committee for the LB sales tax increase didn't do this in several mass mailings received by voters over the past few weeks. These include a piece displaying all three Mayors urging support for the sales tax hike; a self-described "Voter Information Guide" containing two falsehoods identified by LBREPORT.com; a mailer showing police officers, and another showing firefightes (the latter describes Measure A as "providing the needed funding to...hire more police officers and firefighters") and one received by some voters today (May 6) showing a pothole with the text "Let's fix our streets and sidewalks."

[Scroll down for further.]




On May 6 at 11:29 a.m., LBREPORT.com emailed the Committee's Treasurer, Mark Taylor, and asked if the Committee acknowledges or denies that it was required to include the Major Funding verbiage on its campaign mailers after the committee received $50k from LBFFA (April 3) and $100k from LBPOA (April 11).

At 5:24 p.m. May 6, Mr. Taylor responded by email:

Before contributions were received from our supporters, the Long Beach Police Officers Association and Long Beach Firefighters Association, the Measure A & B campaign had already designed several mail pieces. These mailers were printed weeks ago and are still arriving in voter mail boxes.

Mailers that were printed more recently contain an updated disclaimer reflecting the support provided by our police and firefighters for these measures. The Committee website already includes the "major donor" disclaimer as will mailers that begin arriving next week [attached two examples for our viewing; one cites "investing in libraries once again," another "let's upgrade our storm drains and protect our beaches" by voting yes on A & B]

Perspective

Measure A doesn't mention, specify or legally guarantee hiring more police officers or hiring more firefighters, or repairing infrastructure, or investing in libraries or and firefighters or repairing infrastructure. It's a proposed general sales tax increase that current and future Councils could spend on any general fund items (see City Attorney's statement in Council resolution, below.) These could include many things, from items mentioned in the mailers or to provide pay raises for LB's police and firefighter unions (producing better paid police and firefighters but not necessarily more of them for taxpayers.) (In the April 2016 Council election cycle, LB's Police and Firefighters union PACs endorsed Council incumbents Dee Andrews and Al Austin who were both reelected.)

As previously reported by LBREPORT.com, the items cited in the mailers were identified in a voter survey -- paid for by the LB Police Officers Association PAC and LB Firefighters Ass'n PAC (in-kind donations) -- as items that would incline voters to support a sales tax increase. (LBREPORT.com coverage in March, here and here.)

The items identified in the poll have since been used to shape the campaign message for the sales tax increase, although the tax measure itself doesn't mention or guarantee them.

In putting Measure A on the ballot, the Council approved a non-binding resolution expressing the Council's then-"intent" to prioritize spending for purposes including public safety and infrastructure but also includes the following verbiage:

The adoption of this Resolution shall not be construed, and it is not the City Council's intent, to convert the proposed TUT into a "special tax", as that term is defined Article XIIIC §1(d) of the California Constitution, California Government Code §§ 53721 and 53724, or any combination thereof. Although this Resolution expresses the intent of the current City Council to spend future TUT revenues for certain priorities, this Resolution is non-binding on any future or subsequently constituted City Council, and the TUT shall remain a "general tax" as that term is defined in Article XII1C §1(a) of the California Constitution, and as set forth in the proposed TUT ordinance. [Source: LB City Council Resolution 16-0018, Paragraph 3.]

Measure A would increase LB's sales tax to 10% (currently 9% in Lakewood/Signal Hill and 8% in most OC cities) which the current and future Councils could legally spend on any general fund items they may desire.

L.A. County's Registrar of Voters tells LBREPORT.com that vote by mail ballots for the June 7 electon are expected to be mailed out on or about May 9.



The LBPOA $100,000 was made on April 11, not April 4 indicated in an earlier version of this story.

Opinions expressed by LBREPORT.com, our contributors and/or our readers are not necessary those of our advertisers. We welcome our readers' comments/opinions 24/7 via Disqus, Facebook and moderate length letters and longer-form op-ed pieces submitted to us at mail@LBReport.com.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement



blog comments powered by Disqus

Recommend LBREPORT.com to your Facebook friends:


Follow LBReport.com with:

Twitter

Facebook

RSS

Return To Front Page

Contact us: mail@LBReport.com







Adoptable pet of the week:





Carter Wood Floors
Hardwood Floor Specialists
Call (562) 422-2800 or (714) 836-7050


Copyright © 2016 LBReport.com, LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of Use/Legal policy, click here. Privacy Policy, click here