City of Los Angeles parcel tax, Proposition A (November 2008)

A City of Los Angeles parcel tax, Proposition A ballot question, also known as the City of Los Angeles Special Gang and Youth Violence Prevention After-school and Job Training Programs Tax, was on the November 4, 2008 ballot for voters in the City of Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, where it was defeated.

If Proposition A had been approved, it would have authorized the City of Los Angeles to levy a $36 annual parcel tax, with discounts for seniors with low-income.

The revenue from the tax would have gone to address gang violence through prevention via job training programs, after-school programs, vocational programs, and graffiti removal.

Election results

Proposition A
Result		Votes	Percentage
d No		362,396	33.76%
Yes		712,039	66.27%

These final, certified, election results are from the Los Angeles County elections office.

Editorial opinion

Against

• The Daily Breeze stated "No, the city must prove the effectiveness of programs administered by the Mayor's Office before asking property owners for more money."

• The Los Angeles Times cited issues with the city's past attempted gang prevention efforts "using contractors that operated with minimal scrutiny and no evaluation...under the L.A. Bridges banner"

• The Daily News of Los Angeles agreed, stating "the only thing that the $36-a-year parcel tax would do for certain is funnel $30 million a year more of taxpayers' money into the black hole of Los Angeles City Hall."

Ballot question

The question on the ballot:

Proposition A: "To address gang violence through prevention and job training programs; preventing students from dropping out of school; funding supervised after-school programs, tutoring/mentoring, vocational/apprenticeship programs, expanded graffiti removal; requiring Controller audits, citizen oversight; funding proven programs; shall the City of Los Angeles levy an annual $36 gang prevention tax, with discounts for low-income seniors, on each real property parcel?"

See also

• Los Angeles City ballot measures
• Los Angeles County ballot measures
• California 2008 local ballot measures
• Parcel tax elections in California

External links

Suggest a link

• Smart Voter on Proposition A Includes full text of proposition.
• Cal-Tax report on the November school bond elections
• California City Finance report on November ballot measures

Support:

• Yes on Prop A (official site)
• Los Angeles Times Prop A Backers say now is the time to fund anti-gang efforts, Nov 2, 2008
• Mothers Against Gang Violence
• The Daily Breeze, Put a Stop to Gang Violence, Nov 1, 2008

Opposition:

• Los Angeles Times No on Measure A
• The Daily Breeze No on Prop A: Anti-gang parcel tax, Oct 23, 2008
• LA Weekly Delgadillo, Villaraigosa and L.A'.s 2008 Anti-Gang Tax, Oct 20, 2008