Fire fees under California state budget

[Wrightwood]

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Bob Comperini
After reading this thread, if there are still people who think this tax pays for fire fighting, take a look at the Fire "fee" page from the State. You will NOT find one single word about "fire fighting". It's all "prevention" related (inspections, fuels reduction, education, planning, etc). We get NO new services from this, which is why it is not a "fee", but an illegal tax (that would have required more than a simple majority vote, when it was enacted).

http://www.fire.ca.gov/firepreventionfee/sra_faqs
http://www.fire.ca.gov/firepreventionfee/

What does the fee pay for?

The fee funds a variety of important fire prevention services in the SRA. Such activities include fuel reduction projects that lessen the risk of wildland fire to communities and evacuation routes, defensible space inspections, fire prevention engineering, emergency evacuation planning, fire prevention education, fire hazard severity mapping, implementation of state and local Fire Plans, fire prevention grants awarded to local non-profit groups, and law enforcement activities such as arson investigation.

http://www.fire.ca.gov/firepreventionfee/sra_faqs#15

[Elk]

[tcaarabians]

Re: the previous letter from the Jarvis Taxpayers Assoc

At the end the letter states " that no action is needed by property owners at this time."  According to an article in the LAT today the cap and trade bill that includes the fire tax repeal may or may not have the necessary votes needed to achieve the super-majority.  Voters are encouraged to contact their Assembly and Senate representatives to urge a yes vote.  cheryl o7o

[Jirka]

We just realized we did not get a bill for the fire fee this year. Did they not send bills this year?  Did the restructure of the BOE change the billing process? We logged on to the BOE site and made the payment anyway . . .   

[YardBird]

How did you get so lucky?   (or not, if you accidentally misplaced it)  We got ours, mailed in a green envelope from SBOE on May 1, 2017 for $117.33, due on or before May 31.  (I've saved each one, I'm anal that way )

[tcaarabians]

Well guys... with the passage of Cap & Trade.. it looks like the fire fee has been repealed.  So,Yippee!  Tho, I'd still like to see monies allocated to fire prevention. cheryl o7o

[Wrightwood]

[tcaarabians]

This comment is in response to Jim's statement in the community crime tread regarding the repeal of the fire fee.

There is a piece in the LAT today about the repeal of the fire fee that was included in the cap & trade legislation. What really frosts me is that evidently none of the monies collected by the fire fee were used for new programs for fire prevention. $200 millions was transferred out of the budget for fire and transferred to the general fund. The fire fee was used to replace that money. No new programs were initiated.

As for the increase in gas prices due to cap & trade - the estimate is 24 cents to 71 cents by the year 2031. i still support the cap & trade legislation. I would like to see something even stiffer to reduce emissions.  cheryl o7o

[ezzpete]

I would like to see something even stiffer to reduce emissions.  cheryl o7o

You could stop driving your car and ride a bike, JUST KIDDING

[Cheapskate]

Geez, Cheryl, you just now discovered the general fund switcheroo? :-)

It has always been Sacramento and school district's game, especially with bond money allegedly "dedicated" to specific purposes (which is why bonds use vague terms like "repairs", they don't list specific projects). General fund money once budgeted for repairs -- and the salaries of the people doing the repairs -- are now covered by the bond.  And suddenly there's "free money" they can spend on things you never intended.

[tcaarabians]

Yes Cheapskate... I just discovered the ole switcheroo.  But, wisdom come late is wisdom nonetheless. (That's not my line.)  In my own experience, most elected officials couldn't read a budget or a line item change to save themselves. I remain p'od. cheryl o7o

[Wrightwood]

[Wrightwood]

[Cheapskate]

An alternative point of view...that for once doesn't come from the HJTA... looks like the attorneys they engaged should have known the deadlines, etc.  but bungled the case

http://idyllwildtowncrier.com/2017/12/12/judge-dismisses-state-fire-fee-litigation/

[Moose]

and the attorneys will be paid regardless.  Pretty sweet deal.

[Wrightwood]

HJTA appeals dismissal of fire tax lawsuit, continues to fight for refunds

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association filed its Notice of Appeal in the fire prevention fee case on March 1st.  Within ten days we will be filing our notice designating the record on appeal.

As regular recipients of these emails know, the annual fire prevention fee has been halted.  The State will no longer be billing the fee.  However, the trial court judge threw out our case for refunds of past payments.  That is what we are appealing.

Besides the appeal, HJTA is supporting a bill in the Legislature, Senate Bill 1044, that would allow fee payers to apply for a refund of all fees they paid in the past.

Passing Senate Bill 1044 will be an uphill battle, even though the State has a large budget surplus.  We encourage you to contact your State Senator and your Assembly member urging them to vote yes on SB 1044.

To find contact information for your State Senator and Assembly member, please visit https://www.hjta.org/resources/taxpayer-tools/contact-representative.  Thank you for your continued support of Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

Timothy A. Bittle
Director of Legal Affairs
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

[Wrightwood]

[Cheapskate]

Sounds like a waste of time. A bill entering committee from a Republican member (didn't see a Dem co-sponsor)...that gives us our money back. Call all you want,  that bill is dead.  The fire fee is gone,  but the old fee payments aren't coming back.  John Coupal has a sweet gig, paid well to send out press releases and write newspaper op-eds for an organization so old it's essentially fringe (although I'm of an age where I actually remember the HJ of the HJ Taxpayers Assn!) I wonder what the John Birch Society is doing these days...

[Wrightwood]

[Wrightwood]