UNFAIR CORPORATE TAX BREAKS

By Tom Y. Santos

The Board of Equalization has favored big business and special interests in granting specific unfair tax breaks that costs California millions of dollars in lost tax revenues.

My agenda favors working families, consumers, and small business. I support programs that would enhance state and local tax revenues without raising the tax rates. For example, I will implement more sophisticated procedures to ensure that big corporations report and pay 100% percent of their tax liabilities to California. These procedures will be designed to detect accounting manipulations and fraud that have robbed Califonians out of millions of dollars.

Another program that I have passionately supported since 1998 is the gambling tax on California's fast-growing Indian casino industry. These casinos are taking billions of dollars out of the state's economy, and yet many of our current elected officials have given them all kinds of special tax breaks under the concept of Native American sovereignty. To date, these casinos owe about 150 million dollars in a new tax revenue program that was mandated in 2000. However, the taxes are not being collected because either there is a lack of interest in enforcing the law or because the issue is under appeals by the Native American tribal casino owners. As your Board Member, I will create a separate Gaming Tax Department within the Board of Equalization to administer and collect the gambling taxes.

How can I propose these positions and get away with it, you ask? Very simple --- I do not accept campaign contributions from these big corporations and special interests. On the other hand, my opponent has reported raising over $400,000 - money received mostly from big corporations and their corporate executives, Native American tribes with interests in casinos, and other several special interests.

You do the rest. I want to represent you. Thank you so much for your votes.