The ads that turn up during election time are like exquisite pick-up lines. What kind of a girl do you think I am? Oh, that kind of girl.
I just read an ad for a measure that calls itself the “Taxpayers right to vote.” It’s utter bullshit. Tourists from China pay taxes. Legal and illegal residents pay taxes. Corporations pay taxes. Taxpayers don’t have a right to vote. Citizens have a right to vote.
But citizen is too fair a term. It implies diversity. A lot of those people are citizens. Whereas taxpayers implies those with means – or just mean people who resent having to pay for government services. The latter, of course, are the perfect dupes for this come-on:
This measure places new voter approval requirements on local governments before they can use “public funds”—defined broadly in the measure to include tax revenues, various forms of debt, and ratepayer funds—to start up electricity service, expand electricity service into a new territory, or to create a community choice aggregator (CCA).
The measure would help private energy companies block competition from local governments. (Mind you, if the competition really is unfair, the courts will have the last say.)
It’s like flattering someone for their paranoia in order to pick their pocket. It’s evil genius.