The California Teachers Association has proposed a measure to amend the California Constitution, making the "temporary" 1% tax increase a permanent statute. The measure also specifies that revenue from this tax would be exempt from "budget and spending regulations" spelled out in the current California Constitution. The Attorney General and Secretary of State have approved this measure for circulation as an official petition.  Read more >>

Warning to California Taxpayers

In the last few weeks, we have been informed of numerous instances of taxpayer funds being used for political purposes. In most cases, local school district resources are being used to support local bond measures.

OUTRIGHT ADVOCACY OF THIS NATURE IS ILLEGAL AND YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEMAND THAT SUCH ACTIVITY STOP!  Read more >>

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BACKGROUND  Read more >>

A major collision between the interests of the public in knowing how well they are being served by elected officials, and those of politicians who believe their stature should give them immunity from scrutiny is now taking place in Los Angeles. The side of full disclosure is being represented by the city controller while the side of secrecy is being defended by the city attorney.  Read more >>

For six years in a row, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Foundation (HJTF) have published the California Piglet Book to spotlight waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayers' dollars. Modeled after the Pig Book, an annual analysis of Federal spending conducted by CAGW, we have found the state Piglet an excellent method of embarrassing California officials into better performance and a higher respect for the public's money.  Read more >>

Last week saw several significant clashes in the budget war between those who have vowed not to raise taxes and those who would raise taxes in a heartbeat. Both sides lost some and won some but, on balance, the taxpayer defenders came out better and stronger.  Read more >>

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) have joined forces to publish the California Piglet Book, exposing some of the worst examples of waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement in California's state and local government.  Read more >>

The League of California Cities and their developer allies have constructed an initiative that has nothing of substance on the inside, and to further confuse the voters, they are featuring its support by the League of California Homeowners, Inc. While this attractive name may cause many voters to think this is a broad-based statewide homeowners organization, it is actually a corporation whose primary function is to act as a contractor referral service.  Read more >>

Last week we released our fifth annual California Piglet Book. This 35-page booklet carefully scrutinizes dozens of examples of waste, fraud, and abuse that occurred in California state and local government.  Read more >>

While joining our countrymen in giving thanks at this time of year, we at the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association especially want to remember those unsung souls who improve our lives by volunteering their time to act as watchdogs over government spending and who provide advice on making more efficient use of taxpayers' dollars.  Read more >>