Our current revenue structure is unbalanced and hurts small businesses and individuals alike. As a State Senator, I would work to create a more evenly-distributed and sustainable revenue stream to fund the state’s essential operations. Relative to other states, California’s taxes are too many and too burdensome for individuals and businesses at all income levels, leading to an economic exodus from California.
I strongly oppose policies that shift the burden to a small segment of our population – leaving California susceptible to the whims of boom-and-bust economic cycles. Small businesses and individual entrepreneurs are already currently paying more than their ‘fair share’ and any increases – like those presented in the Governor’s proposal – would only make this problem worse. It is also critically important that we retain bigger businesses that currently reside in California as well as attract new ones.
Instead of punishing the thousands of businesses that make up the core of our state’s economy, we should be creating an environment that encourages their development and growth.