In response to a utility tax proposal being considered by the Santa Cruz City Council, candidate Kevin Moon issued the following press release on July 20, 2010:
Kevin Moon, candidate for Santa Cruz City Council, has come out against the utility tax measure that a City Council panel is considering for the November ballot. The proposal, which would increases city fees on telephone services, gas, and electric, would be voted on by Santa Cruz residents if the Council approves the ballot measure at their August 3 meeting. Moon plans on attending that meeting in opposition.
“This is so typical of the dysfunctional leadership on our City Council,” Moon said, “Instead of long-term solutions to problems, they burden those who least can afford it with more taxes.”
The City Council panel deliberating on the utility tax proposal includes Council members Cynthia Mathews, Don Lane, and Lynn Robinson. Robinson will be on the ballot along with Moon this November.
“My candidacy is based on making public safety our number one priority,” Moon stated, “But that requires long-term improvement in the business climate. Our public safety services should not go through the ups and downs that our economy is experiencing, and in order to prevent that from happening we need a consistently vibrant business community and a steady tax policy.”
Moon concluded, “I am not opposed to taxes. It is a fact of life that they are necessary for any society. However, we should be looking at creative ways to structure the budget before turning to a tax increase during hard economic times. Utility taxes are the most – I repeat the most – regressive tax you can possibly propose. All citizens – younger, senior citizens, rich, poor – all pay this tax and the burden falls greatest on those who least can afford it. That is not a policy that Santa Cruz residents should embrace.”
Kevin with Mayor Reed