"Vote for me, and I will repeal it".
Governor's foes see car tax hike as fuel for recall
By John Marelius
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
August 3, 2003
Six years ago, Republican James Gilmore tapped into a wellspring of anger over Virginia's hated car tax and rode it all the way to the governor's office.
Republicans in California took notice. If the issue could elect a governor in Virginia, they reasoned, imagine what it could do in car-obsessed California.
So they seized on California's vehicle license fee, took to calling it the "car tax," pushed through a two-thirds reduction and waited for the political rewards to pour in.
They never did.
Politically speaking, the car tax issue has been a lemon.
Until now.
In a rare confluence of political events, the Oct. 7 recall election of Gov. Gray Davis became official last month just as motor vehicle owners began receiving notices that their renewal fees had tripled.
signonsandiego.com
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THE CALIFORNIA RECALL: THE OVERVIEW; SCHWARZENEGGER LAYS FOUNDATION FOR A TRANSITION
By DEAN E. MURPHY
Published: Thursday, October 9, 2003
Arnold Schwarzenegger moved quickly Wednesday to prepare for governing, naming a prominent Republican congressman to run his transition and strongly suggesting that he would call on President Bush to provide federal aid to California, now in Republican hands.
...
But he repeated promises made during the campaign not to raise taxes, to repeal the recent tripling of vehicle registration fees and to rescind a law signed last month by Gov. Gray Davis that allows undocumented workers to apply for driver's licenses.
nytimes.com |
