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April 21, 2006
PROPERTY TAX INITIATIVE Anti-tax group to help start campaign in stateBy THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The money is intended to boost the campaign's signature gathering efforts and combat misinformation about the Angle Property Tax Restraint Initiative, a proposal spearheaded by assemblywoman and Republican congressional candidate Sharron Angle of Reno, the donors said. "We're trying to help other states offer some form of tax relief because of the very problem we see in Nevada we're seeing around the country - rapidly escalated values and people being taxed out of their homes," said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, which contributed the money through its national arm, the American Tax Reduction Movement. The proposal would freeze the tax rate for residential and commercial property at 1 percent of the assessed value based on the 2003-04 fiscal year. Tax rates could increase each year by 2 percent, or the rate of the consumer price index, whichever is lower. A similar measure was enacted in California in 1978 following a tax revolt led by Howard Jarvis. Until now, the Nevada campaign has largely been a grass-roots effort with strong support among seniors on fixed incomes and homeowners in tony neighborhoods that have seen large jumps in their property taxes. Efforts to collect signatures had stalled recently, and the campaign didn't have enough money to hire professionals, organizers said. "This is going to help us get off the ground on our professional signature-gathering campaign," said Cliff Nellis, the head of We the People Nevada, the political action committee funding the Nevada proposal. The constitutional amendment needs 83,184 signatures to qualify for the ballot and must be passed by voters in two subsequent elections to take effect. A recent poll found nearly two-third of Nevada voters supported the measure. Nellis said the group has hired conservative activist Tony Dane to lead the signature-gathering effort. The group has raised about $45,000, including Friday's donation, Nellis said. Because Angle is a candidate for federal office, her close involvement with the state initiative has raised eyebrows. Under federal campaign law, any money she raises is subject to the federal limits of $5,000 per election from committees and $2,100 per election from individuals. Mike Slanker, campaign manager for Angle's opponent for the Republican nomination, Secretary of State Dean Heller, said the group's donation "smells like she's breaking federal law." "She's using her initiative to promote her congressional campaign and using her congressional campaign to promote her initiative. She's got to choose," Slanker said. Angle's campaign said she was not involved in soliciting the $10,000 donation, although the campaign organized a news conference announcing the contribution and Angle traveled with Nellis to California to meet with Howard Jarvis representatives. Angle spokesman Jerry Stacey said Angle went to California seeking an endorsement, not funds, from the group. "Sharron Angle has done everything exactly appropriately," Stacey said. "There's no reason for Sharron to fundraise, but others have every reason to make political attacks and try to make political mischief." |
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