| Sen. Steinberg raises idea of granting tax authority to local governments
by Brian Leubitz
With all the realignment talk running around, granting additional taxation authority to local governments hasn't been immune. In fact, Sen. Steinberg has addressed the idea a couple of times. However, the current proposal seems more fully considered to a particular government sector.
Senate Bill 791 would allow local transportation agencies to seek voter approval for a "regional transportation congestion reduction charge" on gasoline or diesel. The bill language, introduced in the form of amendments to existing legislation last week, would also allow a new vehicle registration charge on electric vehicles. Revenues raised by the fees, which would require approval of a majority of voters in the impacted region, would fund transit proposals developed by the local transportation planning agencies to reduce vehicle congestion.
The Sacramento Democrat called the bill an effort to create a "local option" for funding transit projects, saying it is "very consistent with the work that we've done this year on bringing services closer to the people" through realignment of state and local functions. (SacBee)
Now, at first blush this seems to be an indicator of nothing good. The only reason such a proposal is necessary is that our state government is essentially unworkable. And, in fact, that is the motivation behind much of realignment. The supermajority requirements have done a number on Sacramento, and the only remaining solution is to recreate tiny little fiefdoms. It is regrettable, but given the circumstances, not an unreasonable path for Steinberg and the Legislative Democrats.
We are essentially at the point that the state is better off without coordination, and, from a functional standpoint, that is a poor use of resources. But from a where we are standpoint, any taxing authority that can be reasonably achieved seems like a good idea. |
