| |
|
|
The OCTax Return
Fighting to make taxes fair, understandable, cost-effective and good for the economy.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EIGHTH ANNUAL
Roses, Radishes & the Royalty Awards Dinner
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
The Island Hotel, Newport Beach
690 Newport Center Driv
e
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM - Reception
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM - Dinner & Awards
Join us for our 8th Annual Roses, Radishes and the Royalty Award Dinner. Enjoy a night of food and laughs as we celebrate those who have been friends to the taxpayer, and recognize those who could have done better. This event is always a hit, so be sure to purchase your tickets now!
Valet parking is complimentary thanks to our parking sponsors, the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association.
Know an individual or organization that should be considered for recognition? Click here to nominate them!
Nominations will be accepted until 5:00 PM on Friday, August 31.
EVENT TICKETS:
*Individual: $150
SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE:
*Title Sponsor
*Platinum Sponsor
*Gold Sponsor
*Silver Sponsor
*Printing
*Audio Visual
THANK YOU TO OUR CURRENT PLATINUM SPONSOR:
Click here for more information on sponsorship levels.
If you are interested in being a sponsor, please contact Francisco Barajas at
francisco@octax.org.
|
|
California's Titanic budget heading for fiscal icebergs
The Orange County Register
John Moorlach
June 30, 2018
Before the Titanic hit the iceberg in 1912, the crew and passengers were partying and enjoying the amenities of the greatest ocean liner the world had ever seen.
In 2018, the California Legislature passed a budget Titanic for fiscal year 2018-19, which begins on July 1. Gov. Jerry Brown signed it into law on June 27. Most legislators celebrated because it fills up the Rainy Day Fund and spends $139 billion for the general fund, up 9 percent from the previous year. Not one, but four fiscal icebergs lie ahead.
The first iceberg is the process itself, which has devolved to just three people deciding what's in the budget: the governor, the Senate leader and the Assembly speaker. That means the concerns of 40 million Californians, as expressed through their 120 elected legislators, were almost entirely ignored.
The Senate-Assembly Conference Committee on the budget, on which I sat for the second straight year, became irrelevant. It is supposed to hammer out differences between the two chambers on some 100 budget proposals, but ended up not being a decision-making body, as established by the California Constitution and the legislative Joint Rules. This deal was foreordained and the Legislature was complicit in an abdication of its duty, acting only as a rubber stamp in the very end.
|
|
Orange County needs an independent auditor-controller
The Orange County Register
Carolyn Cavecche
June 30, 2018
Eric Woolery was first elected Orange County Auditor-Controller in June 2014 with over 57 percent of the vote in a field of five candidates. The second place candidate garnered less than 17 percent. Woolery was re-elected, just a few weeks ago, with over 74 percent of the vote.
But before Woolery's strong 2018 election results had even been certified, some members of the Orange County Board of Supervisors were proposing to dismantle the office of the auditor-controller, including moving internal audit functions back under direct control of the board themselves and moving a large part of the controller responsibilities form the Auditor-Controller's office to a new department reporting to County Executive Officer Frank Kim.
Auditor-Controller Woolery has earned the public's confidence, taking a more public presence than those who have previously held the office. He considers himself the independently elected taxpayer watchdog of Orange County, giving out Taxpayer Watchdog Awards, and holding public educational seminars. Plus he as not shied away from taking a stand when he believes the county is not spending taxpayer dollars correctly. Chairman Andrew Do and Vice Chair Shawn Nelson, who both strongly supported the changes, have come under fire in the past. Woolery blocked a pension payment to Supervisor Nelson - one that he had originally refused to take - and blocked payment for taxpayer-funded mailers sent out by Supervisor Do.
|
|
CA Budget: New spending
dwarfed by
billions
set aside in reserves
CalWatchdog.com
Chris Reed
June 29, 2018
When the annual California budget debate began in earnest with Gov. Jerry Brown's release of a proposed 2018-19 fiscal plan in January, progressives were ready to go with a long list of new spending proposals. Many hoped to both expand the social safety net and to make existing state welfare programs more generous.
But nearly six months later, as final work on the budget wraps up, Brown's dominance of state finances has gone all but unchallenged. Any assumption that a lame-duck governor in his final year would have less clout has long since been disproved.
For the fiscal year which begins Sunday, the state will have a $138.6 billion general fund. Spending on special funds dedicated to specific programs and on bond debt will bring the total overall budget to $199.6 billion.
Brown made some concessions during the budget process. The state will spend an additional $600 million on programs to help local governments deal with homelessness, give an additional $344 million to the CSU and UC systems, and provide $90 million more for monthly CALworks welfare payments.
To view the member recruitment process or to submit an application,
click here
.
|
|
Here Are the 12 Ballot Propositions On
California's November 2018 Election
Capital Public Radio
Emily Zenther
June 29, 2018
Californians will vote on a dozen ballot measures this fall, a decline from the 17 that appeared during the last presidential election - but still a testament to the fact that "citizens love" the initiative process, according to one expert.
"Poll after poll shows that not only citizens support strongly the initiative process, but they believe they do a better job making policy then the Legislature and the governor," said Wesley Hussey, an associate professor of political science at Sacramento State.
Lawmakers finalized the Nov. 6 propositions on Thursday, and state voters will decide on everything from rent control and the transportation tax to splitting the Golden State into three and even getting rid of daylight saving.
As usual, getting up to speed on a dozen measures will be a heavy lift for voters. But the scope of the propositions isn't likely to diminish in future years. As Hussey explained, the way that initiatives get on the ballot likely won't change any time soon, because voters "are pretty much against any major, or even somewhat minor, reform to the process."
|
|
Soda Tax Ban Becomes Law, Industry Groups Yank California
Ballot Measure Threatening Government Services
Capital Public Radio
Ben Adler
June 28, 2018
California lawmakers and Gov. Jerry Brown have banned cities and counties from enacting new taxes on soda and sugary-drink products.
They rushed through a bill on Thursday to meet the deadline for proponents of November ballot initiatives to withdraw their measures.
In exchange for this new law, the soda industry and a California business group are rescinding an initiative from the November ballot that would raise the voter threshold to approve general purpose local sales tax increases and extensions from a majority to two-thirds.
"We're certainly ready to help lawmakers keep groceries affordable in California," said William Dermody with the American Beverage Association, which has spent tens of millions of dollars in recent years fighting soda taxes in cities throughout the state - with mixed success.
|
|
In Janus, the Supreme Court Corrects Its
First Amendment Jurisprudence
National Review
George Will
July 1, 2018
The Supreme Court is especially admirable when correcting especially deplorable prior decisions, as with the 1954 school-desegregation decision rejecting a 1896 decision's "separate but equal" doctrine. It did so again last Wednesday, overturning a 41-year-old precedent inimical to the First Amendment.
Shortly before the Court made this predictable ruling a
Wall Street Journal headline revealed why it was necessary. the headline said: "Unions Court Own Members Ahead of Ruling." Anticipating defeat, government-employee unions had begun resorting to persuasion - imagine that - in the hope of retaining members and convincing nonmembers to continue making payments to the unions that the Court says can no longer be obligatory.
|
|
Protecting a Landmark - Sign the Proposition 13 Pledge
In 1978, California voters approved the People's Initiative to Limit Property Taxation, or Proposition 13. Proposition 13 was the outcome of a revolt of California property owners against the subjective, roller-coaster rides that they had to deal with each year when their property values were assessed.
We invite you stand with millions of California property owners to defend and protect this historic legislation.
|
|
Get the Latest OCTax News
Be the first to know about the latest tax policy affecting Orange County.
Use the links below to connect with OCTax on social media.
|
|
|
|
|
Featured Blog Story
Incumbents have enough advantages, they shouldn't be campaigning with taxpayer dollars
Incumbents have an advantage when it comes to elections. Their ballot designation, or job title, give them a huge leg up and they are able to garner earne media simply by fulfilling the duties of their office.
Learn more
|
|
California State Controller John Chiang created a website to make it easier for taxpayers to track revenues, expenditures and other financial data reported by California's 58 counties and more than 450 cities. Local governments with outstanding debt securities are required to report certain financial information and operating data.
Learn more
|
|
|
OCTax Member Spotlight
Cox Communications is known for its pioneering efforts in the telecommunications industry, and Orange County has played a significant role in those efforts...
Learn more
.
|
|
OCTax Board of Directors
|
Jerry Amante - FSB Core Strategies
Whitney Ayers - Hospital Association of Southern California
Mike Balsamo - Rancho Mission Viejo
George Basye
- Aera Energy
Kristen Camuglia - Cox Communications
Duane Cave - San Diego Gas & Electric
Anthony Cordero - The Boeing Company
Larry Dick - Metropolitan Water District of So. Cal.
L
ucy Dunn
-
Orange County Business Council
John Duong - Clear Channel
Jennifer Fitzgerald
- CL7 Communications
Phil Hawkins - Pacific West Association of Realtors
Steven Schuyler
- The Irvine Company
Hector Infante - Chevron Corporation
Reed Royalty, President Emeritus
Carolyn Cavecche
, President & CEO
|
Tina Javid - Southern California Gas Company
Kate Klimow - University of California, Irvine
Jim Leach - Santa Margarita Water District
Scott Maloni - Poseidon Water
Justin McCusker - C.J. Segerstrom & Sons
Chip Monaco
- Waste Management of OC
Savanna Olson
- The Disneyland Resort
Curt Pringle
- Curt Pringle & Associates
Jeanne Reinhardt - Smith Public Affairs
David Stefanides - OC Association of Realtors
Tommy Thompson - California Apartment Association
Pat Buttress
- PIB Public Affairs
Trevor O'Neil - Colonial Home Care Services
Larry Labrado - Southern California Edison
Rick Muth - ORCO Block
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
