League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Los Angeles County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Measure P Utility User Tax City of Bellflower Ordinance - Majority Approval Required Pass: 11,653 / 62.14% Yes votes ...... 7,099 / 37.86% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure P

Arguments Against Measure P

Protect Bellflower from State money grabs - vote YES ON P! Sacramento balances its budget on the backs of cities like Bellflower, forcing our City to cut services we rely on. YES on ~ is a TEMPORARY measure to protect LOCAL services. Measure P makes Bellflower less dependent on Sacramento politicians by providing stable funding for services including public safety, graffiti removal, and youth/senior programs. By law, the State can't seize any Measure P funds. Prior to the economic downturn Bellflower funded youth programs serving 1,500 kids. Budget cuts have eliminated many of these summer and after-school programs. Measure P maintains/restores critical programs - keeping kids away from gangs/drugs, and out of trouble. With the State releasing over 400 new parolees into our region, now is the time to restore Sheriffs Substation hours and the four Sheriffs Deputies budget cuts forced Bellflower to eliminate. We need local funding to monitor these parolees, keeping Bellflower safe. YES ON P MAINTAINS/RESTORES: Sheriffs patrols School safety/after-school programs Our local Sheriffs Substation Drug and gang prevention/enforcement YES ON P IS FISCALLY ACCOUNTABLE. YES on ~ is TEMPORARY, legally expires in 5 years and requires exemptions for low-income seniors, independent citizens' oversight and financial audits to ensure all funds are properly spent as promised to taxpayers. The public will continue to review all City expenditures. If we're forced to continue cutting basic City services, Bellflower will quickly resemble neighboring, crime-ridden cities with gangs, graffiti, and rundown streets. We can't let this happen! That's why local firefighters, sheriffs, the Bellflower City Council, business owners and community leaders support YES on r. -locally-controlled funding for essential City services that can't be taken by Washington or Sacramento. Protect Bellflower's health and safety - VOTE YES ON P. Visit http://www.ProtectBellflower.com DAN KOOPS Mayor of Bellflower RAYMOND DUNTON Mayor Pro Tern of Bellflower LEROY BACA Sheriff of Los Angeles County EULA CISNEROS Bellflower Little League Board ALEX SALAZAR Bellflower Business Owner Rebuttal to Arguments For The politicians are claiming that Measure P is a "temporary tax." We are already burdened with too many "temporary taxes" that never go away. The politicians claim that they will restore public safety after you agree to raise your taxes by 40%. But all the money will go into the general fund, the same fund that they used to create several Assistant Directors and double the pay of the highest paid employees at City Hall. The politicians made campaign promises when they got the original Utility Users Tax passed. WHAT THE POLITICIANS PROMISED: Neighborhood police patrols Funding for youth programs Sheriff foot/bike patrols WHAT THE POLITICIANS DELIVERED: Newly created Assistant Directors making over $100,000 a year Doubled the salaries of the highest paid managers in City Hall Pensions of over $100,000 a year for retired employees Eliminated 103 low-paying and part-time positions Eliminated youth programs Cut four Sheriff's Deputies Bellflower needs fiscal sanity. Allowing the politicians to raise taxes every time they create a fiscal emergency (our second one in two years) enables them to continue their wasteful ways. They steadfastly refuse to eliminate the Assistant Directors positions they created or bring executive salaries and pensions back down to a reasonable level. The recent City of Bell scandal started with excessively high taxes and ended as an embarrassment to the City. Don't let this happen to Bellflower. Reject the 40% tax increase by voting NO on Measure P. JOHN PAUL DRAYER Bellflower Homeowner ART OLIVIER Realtor

If you pay $100 in Utility User's Tax and this measure passes, you'll be paying $140. THAT'S A 40% INCREASE! The City has eliminated 103 low-paying positions while adding several Assistant Directors with six-figure salaries and doubling the pay of their bosses. Many residents received pay cuts or had their homes devalued. We should not be forced to pay for their excesses. To save money, the Council could eliminate the Assistant Director positions, spend less on legal services and utilize the offices at the Lakewood Sheriff's Station instead of raising our taxes and laying off the lowest paid workers that provide most of our services. The City Council implies that the tax increase will pay for law enforcement and other important services. The reality is that THE MONEY GOES INTO THE GENERAL FUND, the same fund used for the salaries of the highest paid employees in City Hall. There are currently 16,000 retired state and local employees with pensions over $100,000 plus generous healthcare packages and cost of living increases. Many are retiring in their 50's. This is unsustainable. Voting NO ON ALL OF THE TAX INCREASES, forces the politicians to modify the public pension system to make it fair and sustainable. The City has declared its second fiscal emergency in two years while stopping a green electric car company from moving into an abandoned car lot. If the City were business friendly, they could increase revenue without higher taxes. The City spent about $500,000 (they have not released the exact amount) in election costs and advertising to get us to increase our taxes in the last two years. In 2010, the PEOPLE WON and the COUNCILMEN LOST! Send them a message that they should do their jobs and stop wasting money by voting NO on HIGHER TAXES. JOHN PAUL DRAYER Bellflower Homeowner JOSEPH E. CVETKO Former Mayor ART OLIVIER Former Mayor Rebuttal to Arguments Against How ridiculous and irresponsible for ex-politicians and political novices to make these outlandish statements. Make no mistake+ YES on P protects your services from Sacramento takeaways! Fact: In four years, Bellflower has cut $20 million including: -Laying off 75 employees -4 year salary freeze + NO Raises -Eliminating 4 sheriff deputies -Eliminating 4 assistant directors -Reducing sheriff substation hours/patrols -Reducing Dial-A-Ride services for seniors -Eliminating after-school programs for youth Fact: In January 2012, Sacramento seized Bellflower's economic redevelopment funds, taking $80,000,000 from our community. Fact: Now, the State is releasing 400+ new parolees into our neighborhoods. In recent years, Bellflower has dramatically reduced crime, becoming a community where we want to live/raise our families. If we continue to cut essential services, Bellflower will begin to resemble neighboring cities with more crime, gangs, graffiti and rundown streets. YES on P: Restores sheriff substation hours and sheriff deputies Increases sheriff patrols Restores school safety programs Restores drug/gang prevention and enforcement programs YES on P is an Emergency Funding Measure allowing for a TEMPORARY, 2% increase in Bellflower's voter-approved UUT rate (2 cents per $1). Measure P expires in 5 years and includes independent financial audits and Independent Citizens Oversight. Sacramento politicians can't touch a dime. Some of us didn't support Measure A in 2010, but now we're united on YES on P because we're sick of State money grabs. We want to ensure your taxpayer dollars stay LOCAL. Join us in voting YES on P! SCOTT LARSEN Bellflower City Council Member SONNY SANTA INES Bellflower City Council Member RYAN VERWYS Community Advocate PAM LEESTMA Teacher, Valley Christian School RICK ROYSE Taxpayer Advocate