Palm Springs, a city that has no problem giving developers millions upon millions of your tax dollars, is trying to raise taxes this fall to the highest levels in all of Riverside County. As the city does not have the power to do that without your vote, they have taken to sending out propaganda to get you to vote for Measure D at a cost of just under $14,000, according to KESQ.
According to a city official, the cost for printing/graphics/labeling $10,800 for 16,635 households – that equals $1.19 per household. The cost of the postage was $3,121.
Measure D would raise the city’s sales tax by a half-cent. The mailer states that the increase would generate between $6 million and $7 million per year to help support police and emergency services.
The mailer is now under investigation, something they are used to now, by the Fair Political Practices Commission who are looking to see if Palm Springs officials committed ethics violations by sending out the piece. The investigation comes about following a complaint filed by Robert Stone who claims the city went around the County Registrar’s office and did not publish any arguments opposing the Measure. Stone is running for city council this fall.
Stone told the Desert Sun that the city’s claim that up to two-thirds of the potential $6 to $7 million taxes generated from Measure D will be paid by tourists.
Of course, an alternative to Measure D might be to look at why city officials are paid the huge sums they are and why the city continues to just give public money to any developer who asks for it.
If only we had 14 grand of other people’s money laying around to send a mailer suggesting that.
