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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
April 26, 2010
April 21, 2010
I PURSUE A SECOND TERM WITH STRONG RESOLVE ON BEHALF OF TAXPAYERS
by Michelle Steel, Member, State Board of Equalization
California should be the most innovative, most productive, and most fiscally sound state in the nation. But, because of over spending and heavy-handed regulations, our economy is among the worst in the nation, our tax rate is among the highest in the nation, and our state budget is entering its third year of record, multi-billion dollar deficits.
When will the politicians get the message?
Since joining the Board of Equalization (BOE) four years ago, I’ve fought to protect taxpayers from overly aggressive state tax agencies. I’ve also fought for the cause of small business owners, and I have opposed every attempt to raise taxes on hard working Californians.
Because the BOE is the one area a business owner can come to contest an unfair tax bill, I’ve been able to fight directly on behalf of businesses owners. And while the liberals try to squeeze every penny from these taxpayers that are clearly suffering, I have instead taken up their cause and have fought to solve their tax problems.
My commitment to taxpayers began three decades ago when I watched my mother fight an unwarranted BOE tax bill. She didn’t have the resources or the knowledge to fight the massive state agency, and she ended up paying a tax bill she didn’t owe.
No taxpayer should be treated like that. As long as I am on the BOE, I will be a strong advocate for taxpayers, to ensure their voice is heard.
Since joining the Board in 2006, I have hosted nearly 5,000 taxpayers at small business and non-profit seminars all across Southern California. Through these free tax seminars I work to ensure that today’s business owners learn how to navigate the maze of our current tax system and avoid the pitfalls that trapped my mother. I already have many events scheduled for this year.
In the last four years, I was able to defeat efforts to create a $500 million tax on digital Internet downloads – the so-called I-Tax. I also began auditing state government and discovered that the state had delayed the return of $42 million in tax deposits owed to more than 5,500 small businesses. That discovery led to those funds being refunded back to the businesses and taxpayers.
My husband and I own a small business, and we know how difficult it is to operate under California’s heavy taxes and regulations. California’s tax and regulatory laws continue to hurt Californians and kill off business. In 2008 alone, 45% more businesses closed their doors in California than opened. That’s why I have sponsored or supported over two dozen pieces of pro-business and pro-taxpayer legislation.
I believe that the proper role of a board member is to be an advocate for taxpayers, not merely an agent of the state. When I came to the BOE, my main goal was to make sure that the taxpayer and the private sector had a voice at this important, if little known, agency. As long as I am on the Board of Equalization, I will continue the fight to ensure that the taxpayers come first!
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For more information, contact: Stephanie Griffing 916.933.6203