Last night’s candidate forum sponsored by the Anaheim Buzz and the Anaheim Hills Community Council was by and large a civil event, with a few flashpoints during the evening.
One of the most illuminating was at the beginning of the council candidates segment. The first question was on taxes and kicked off with a “speed round” in which the candidates were asked to give a yes or no response to whether they supported a range of new or increased taxes.
Left-wing academic Jose Moreno, who seemed to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder throughout the forum, was the only candidate who did not provide a yes or no answer.
The other candidates on the podium – Mayor Pro em Kris Murray, Councilwoman Gail Eastman, Team Tait member James Vanderbilt – each responded to every tax with a crisp “no.”
Not Moreno. Each time he was asked about a tax, he leaned forward and answered “I’m open to the idea” with a sly, slight smile on his face:
Do you favor a gate tax?
“I am open to the idea.”
A utility tax?
“Open to the idea.”
An increase in the local sales tax?
“Open to the idea.”
A split-roll tax, i.e. removing Prop. 13 protections from commercial property?
“Open to the idea.”
In the context of Moreno’s record and philosophy, “open to the idea” sounded like code for “I’ll be easy to convince.”
Juxtaposed against Moreno’s openness to increasing taxes were his regular claims that he’d protect taxpayers? At what point? After taxpayers have been picked clean by all the taxes to which Moreno is so open?
Moreno goes on about how he’s running to help the working poor. ow does it help the working poor to support new and increased taxes that raise their cost of living and take more money out of their pockets? How does it help the working poor to increases the cost of buying goods, paying their utility bill, increasing their rent and the cost of taking their families to a sporting event or Disneyland?
Why am I not surprised?
Why is ANYONE surprised by this?
Jose Moreno thinks he’s smarter than everyone else. He thinks his responses are clever but he only impresses his small cult. What a waste of time. Donna Acevedo could have done better.
We already have a Utility Tax. In fact Kring is on my sample ballot cheerleading it. So why isn’t she demanding a rebate for overcharging on utilities?
Open to it is a better answer than just yes and no answer. These do not offer a true answer. See our current city council for non answers to issues in the community.
Larry,
“Open to it” is code for “I support it but don’t want to go on record before the election.”
Moreno has already made it clear in writing elsewhere that he supports higher taxes.
“Open to it” is code for “could be a good idea or not, depending on the details.” Duh, and again duh.
Vern, don’t be deliberately naive.
So suddenly you are a mind reader? Isn’t that the line you always use to divert and deflect?