The Record Gazette

ENDORSEMENT – Chris Mann and Arnold Schwarzenegger announce the endorsement of the Inland Empire Taxpayers Association.

The Inland Empire Taxpayers Association (IETA), a tax fighting group based in the San Gorgonio Pass area, has officially announced its support of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s re-election campaign.

Chris Mann, the group’s founder and president, traveled to Sacramento on Wednesday, August 16th, formally announcing the endorsement at a press conference with the Governor. Also in attendance were Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association President Jon Coupal, National Tax Limitation Committee President Lew Uhler, Former Assemblyman and Board of Equalization Member Dean Andal and dozens of tax relief advocates from around the State.

Mann stated, “Governor Schwarzenegger understands that raising taxes is not the answer,” said Mann. “California has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. And we understand what a crushing blow to taxpayers an Angelides administration would be. In Phil Angelides we have a very known entity. A true believer in the tax and spend philosophy. A man who has proudly promised to raise income taxes, the sales tax, property taxes, taxes on farm equipment, taxes on auto repair, the car tax, taxes on alcohol, taxes on diesel fuel. In all, Angelides has already promised to raise our taxes by more than $18 billion.”

According to Coupal, “Californians have a clear choice in November. It is a choice between the Governor who has not only firmly opposed tax increases, but cut taxes for small businesses and families, and his opponent who has proposed more than $18 billion in new taxes on hard-working Californians.”

The Inland Empire Taxpayers Associaiton was formed in the spring of this year in an effort to put a stop to the flurry of recent attempts by various local government agencies to raise taxes and fees and to pass hefty new bond measures, according to Mann.

The group’s first efforts were directed at opposing two ballot measures this past June in the Pass: Measure G, a $720 million bond for the Mt. San Jacinto Community College District, which would have funded the building of a college campus in Banning, and Measure H, a $63 million bond that would have helped the Banning Unified School District.

Both were defeated on June 6. IETA is now focusing its attention on backing state and local candidates who support tax relief and on defeating the Banning Unified School District’s renewed attempt to pass their $63 million bond through a November ballot measure, according to Mann.