Campaign Philosophy…
My first campaign promise is to run a clean campaign focusing on the issue that I feel are of primary importance to the future of California. I will not comment on my opponents political ideology, personal appear- ance or any of their other possible negative attributes.
There will be no scare mongering, ad hominem attacks, or other negative campaign tactics. This will be a mud free campaign. After all, I still need to respect myself in the morning.
I will not engage in knee jerk commentary. If asked a question I will calmly reflect on the issue before commenting. We often regret knee jerk responses, but don’t want to appear weak and end up defending positions that we don’t truly believe.
Issues that I think are important…
Tax Equity…
The primary tax issue that effects us as California citizens is not whether tax are too high or too low, but rather are the taxes that we pay equitable.
We can all agree the the state provides necessary services that must be paid for somehow. The question that needs to be answered is are all members of the citizenry being taxed equitably? Are certain segments given undue tax breaks in the form of rebates, unduly low rates or state funding?
Revenue smoothing…
The boom and bust economic cycles must also be addressed. In good economic times State revenues increase and the legislature spends accordingly. In bad economic times State revenues decrease and the legislature panics and slashes funding to critical services.
I feel that the best way to address this problem is to have tax rates with economic triggers. We define a stable revenue amount that is needed to fund state services so that we know what amount of tax revenues are needed to balance the budget. When revenue collections fall below the targeted amount it triggers an increase in tax rates to reach the target. When revenue collections exceed the targeted amount it triggers a decrease in tax rates.
A guaranteed revenue stream will make balancing the state budget easy. Revenue smoothing will also keep the legislature from spending our state into bankruptcy.
Generating Revenue for the State…
Prohibition on Alcohol did not work. All that it accomplished was the creation of a criminal underclass and a industry not was not taxed or regulated. The same situation is occurring with the Marijuana industry today.
Those with a moral objection to the use of marijuana would not be required to ingest marijuana in any form. Let us ere on the side of Liberty and allow our fellow citizen to decide whether or not to use marijuana. In a state in desperate need of revenue the following benefits would accrue.
An excise tax of $1 per half-gram joint of marijuana would raise about $1 billion per year, as much as the current excise tax on cigarettes. Retail sales on the legal market would range from $3 – $5 billion, generating another $250 – 400 million in sales taxes.
Based on experience with the cigarette tax, total revenues of $1.5 – $2.5 billion might be realized. Based on experience with the wine industry, the total economic activity generated by legal marijuana could be nearly three times as great as retail sales, around $8 – $13 billion. Industrial hemp could also become a major business, comparable to the $3.4 billion cotton industry in California.
Amsterdam-style coffeehouses would generate jobs and tourism. If the marijuana industry were just one-third the size of the wine industry, it would generate 50,000 jobs and $1.4 billion in wages, along with additional income and business tax revenues for the state.
Legalization would save over $156 million in law enforcement costs for arrest, prosecution, trial and imprisonment of marijuana offenders. Intrusive CAMP helicopter surveillance would also be eliminated.
Educational System…
At one time California had the best educational system in the country and arguably in the world. Due to Proposition 13 and a short sighted legislature, we now rank near the bottom. We must return funding to our educational system it is an investment in the future of our state and our children. We need to bring back enrichment programs in the sci- ences and the arts. By making our children more competitive through education, we help ensure the future well being of the state.
Thank You
Thank you for reading my brochure. I plan on running a minimalist campaign and will therefore accept no campaign donations. If you feel the need to contribute there will be a pdf version of this brochure that you can download and print at my website. Feel free to make copies and hand them out to your family, friends or coworkers.
MichaelMachado_campaign_brochure
Email: mike [at] m-machado [dot] com
