Please Support the Governor Wilson Temporary Revenue Act AB 1329 (Furutani)

Esteemed Colleagues:

If passed, AB 1239 (Furutani) is estimated to raise almost $8 billion of critical funding over the next five fiscal years. Currently, the wealthiest earners pay 7.8 percent of their salary towards the income tax, while the poorest California families pay a disproportionate 11.1 percent of their salary towards the income tax. AB 1239 will only affect the wealthiest of Californians and not low-income or middle class individuals and families that have been hit hard by the recession and the Governor's past budget cuts. Only 1% of single taxpayers and 3% of joint taxpayers would be affected by AB 1239.

Please join us in supporting this bill and urge the legislature to help those most in need.

Attached to this email is a fact sheet for AB 1239 (Furutani) and a sample support letter for your convenience, please feel free to modify the letter as needed.

Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.

Best regards,

Beatrice Montenegro
Jesse Marvin Unruh Assembly Fellow
Office of Assemblymember
Warren Furutani
55th District
(916) 319-2055
Beatrice.Montenegro@asm.ca.gov

Sample Letter
DATE

The Honorable Warren T. Furutani
California State Assembly
State Capitol, Room 6025
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Assembly Member Furutani:

On behalf of [ORGANIZATION NAME], I write in support of Assembly Bill 1239 (Furutani). This legislation establishes temporary income tax brackets that only impact the wealthiest Americans who earn more than a quarter million dollars a year. AB 1239 is estimated to raise almost $8 billion of critical funding over the next five years.

Since 2008, California has faced a total budget deficit of $103.6 billion. For 2011-12, the shortfall is $25.4 billion, and this is after drastic steps have already been taken to resolve ongoing budget deficits. Because of the devastating budget cuts adopted in the last few years, our State’s programs have been decimated. The level of services provided by the State for education, public safety, social services, and infrastructure spending on roads, bridges and highways are already at a bare minimum. Cuts alone cannot solve our continuing budget deficits.

In 1991 the 1991-92 budget then-Governor Wilson signed into $9.1 billion in increased revenue. Notably, the increased revenue that Governor Wilson relied on included temporary income tax increases for high wage earners.

AB 1239 is a less restrictive version of the temporary income tax brackets initiated by former Governor Wilson in 1991, and it impacts only those who make more than a quarter million dollars a year. AB 1239, if passed, is estimated to raise almost $8 billion of critical funding over the next five fiscal years. The estimated $8 billion in revenue which would be generated by AB 1239 is a crucial step towards resolving our state’s budget crisis.


For these reasons, [NAME OF ORGANIZATION] supports your AB 1239.

Respectfully,


[NAME]