Redondo Beach's Measure UU defeated

The city of Redondo Beach already levies a 4.75% utility users tax on all citizens. None of the other local cities do this but somehow they manage to balance their budgets. Raising taxes is never the right solution. I'm both surprised and pleased that UU was defeated.

State of emergency huh...how much did that stupid sculpture under the marina sign cost?

The sculpture was paid for by MTA.. Not the City.

It wasnt a tax on residents or businesses that already paid the UUT.. It was only to get the power plant to pay thier fair share. The claims that it would raise our rates are BS. Rates are set by the PUC.. Total crap and a mis leading campaign by the power plant!!

Had the Council had the trust of the people, this would have passed hands down. The latest round of distrust was bred when the Council ignored over 100 residetns with concerns about the harbor rezoning. Aspel's attack on residents and his unfounded attack on those supporting a park at the AES site exacerbated the situation, When will the Council learn that if they build up trust with the people and coopt them rather than castigate them, they can get much more done?

How many votes?

Why did need a special election for this?

3270 Yes
3743 No

So the City wasted over $200,000 putting on a special election decided by less than 8,000 people.

Nice further waste of city funding.

I was torn...

vote to send more tax dollars to government or

allow a corporation to (with ties to the banks on Wall Street) to escape taxation.

In the end, I believed that more taxes equaled government spending, and that was the greater of two evils.

Some interesting reading...

Memorandums of understanding between the city and the unions.

Article IV: Use of the final year's pay for pension benefit calcs.(Pensions are going to bankrupt a lot of cities.)

http://www.redondo.org/depts/hr/mous.asp

Come on wake up you elected city officials.

People do NOT want higher taxes nor higher utility costs.

Time to cut your budgets and your staffs and your benefits. I can live within a budget my govt should do the same!

Finally, people are thinking about propositions! The elected officials must think that the general public is a bunch of morons. How many people think that having the AES powerplant pay additional taxes would not result everyones taxes going up? Of course they are going to pass on the additional taxes!

Don't get me started on the why the general public voted in a sales tax increase!

I think Mayor Gin is only part right when he said the message to the City is to reduce spending. Yes, we expect you to do that, but lack of trust in City management played a bigger part to me. Bill Workman's power play to declare a state of fiscal emergency in order to not need to win by as large of a margin struck me as dishonest. You can't go after a single company to make up for the City's overspending. The City screwed up way back when by the way they wrote the exemption into the tax code. It was not specific enough, and it allowed the exemption to exist even after the power plant changed hands to a private company. They need to accept that fact and quit trying to find new angles. Additionally, I think if UU had passed, the amount the City would have had to spend on lawsuits would have exceeded several years worth of revenue received from the UUT.

Here's another thing. I'm sick of listening to the snide comments from the 2 Steve's on the City Council directed towards their opponents on this and other issues. I'm not a part of the large group who campaigned against this measure, but I think it is wrong for Council members to use their bully pulpit to bully fellow citizens of Redondo Beach. Steve Aspel should be reprimanded for the hissy fit he threw last night and for storming away from his seat the way he did. He is an embarrassment.

I received several e-mails from my Dist. 1 rep. Steve Aspel to vote YES, along with all the scare-tactic messages if this was defeated. Finally, the residents of Redondo Beach woke up and defeated the measure. Now, if only the residents, in the next major election, vote out a the majority of the city council reps and the mayor! Wake up voters in Redondo Beach! These guys do not care about your annually increases in property taxes and will find another sly method to rake in your $$$$.

Since the only place left to cut expenses is personnel, I guess more cuts are coming. Try to get animal control to come out lately? If its not 8am to 4pm they are not working! I was told to call SPCA and told me to wait for the morning and call Redondo Beach then. Whats next to get cut? How about the burnt out street lights? Geez.

You morons who voted NO on UU are a bunch of ball sacks. Rates are regulated and there for would need to go up before a commission. In addition, why should they not pay tax like we do. JERKS. Learn to save energy and you can save money. CRAP BAGS

I wonder if the "smart" people who voted against Measure UU were concerned that AES would litigate until hell freezes over, obviating any gains in city revenue.

The voters of RB must be nuts to be taken in by the misrepresentations of AES. I guess they don't care if city services continue to decline while AES profits.

State of Emergency wrote:

State of emergency huh...how much did that stupid sculpture under the marina sign cost?

Hey a nice fountain would be good not some metal monstrosity

just a guess...you work for RB?? reason i voted against it? double taxation. why not direct your saving money tips to the city who as everyone knows could use more restraint.

Ball Sacks wrote:

You morons who voted NO on UU are a bunch of ball sacks. Rates are regulated and there for would need to go up before a commission. In addition, why should they not pay tax like we do. JERKS. Learn to save energy and you can save money. CRAP BAGS

the real nuts reside inside city hall. how many don quixote stands are they going to make against giant utility? how many dollars that could have went to "city services" were wasted to date??

Lenny wrote:

The voters of RB must be nuts to be taken in by the misrepresentations of AES. I guess they don't care if city services continue to decline while AES profits.