Measure E – Are Elk Grove taxpayers being set up to provide more billionaire subsidies?
Thanks to Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen and three of her council members, including Stephanie Nguyen, Kevin Spease, and Darren Suen, voters will be asked this election cycle to consider increasing taxes on Elk Grove consumers by at least $23 million annually in perpetuity.
Even though Singh-Allen and three of her city council members have tacitly supported the one percent sales tax increase, and the city bureaucrats are drooling at the prospect of another pot of money, none have committed money to the campaign to get voters simple majority approval. That changed recently with the formation of a committee to promote the regressive tax increase.
The Committee to Keep Elk Grove Clean and Safe – Yes on Measure E was formed. At the time of the formation, other than the treasurer’s information, the group’s funding was obscured.
Well, now we know who is funding the campaign. It is none other than billionaire developer Angelo K. Tsakopoulus.
Information filed this week with the Elk Grove City Clerk’s office show Tsakopoulus donated $49,000 to the campaign. With no organized opposition, the formal campaign will be one-sided in favor of the pro Measure E proponents.
Tsakopoulus is no stranger to Elk Grove politicians. His frequent contributions fund city council members’ campaigns, who, in turn, flip tricks for him like a streetwalker does for their pimp.
Tsakopoulus could be throwing some table scraps to city bureaucrats and council members as a thank you. Worse, he could be eyeing that perpetual pot of $23 million, which will grow in time with inflation, as a new pot of cash for exploitation in the form of creative taxpayer subsidies.
If Measure E passes, which given their advertising budget, is likely, Elk Grove voters once again could subsidize a billionaire.