Culver City Observer -

By Jon Coupal

the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

In August, the Fair Political Practices Commission imposed one of the largest fines in its history against Los Angeles County for using taxpayer funds to advocate for a ballot measure it had placed on the ballot.

Measure H was a massive sales tax increase, ostensibly for homeless programs. That same illegal behavior resulted in a lawsuit by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

The $1.3 million fine imposed by the FPPC against a local government entity for campaign finance disclosure and reporting violations sent shockwaves throughout the local government community which had grown accustomed to sending out campaign mailers thinly disguised as “informational” material.

Over the last three decades, these “informational” campaigns looked more and more like typical political advertising.

To read the entire column, please click here.

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Jon Coupal is the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA). He is a recognized expert in California fiscal affairs and has argued numerous tax cases before the courts.