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Page �age 52 The choices the city faces are to ask the voters to change the wording of the tax ordinance so that the city can continue to collect the current tax on phone bills or to do nothing and let the telephone part of the tax go away and cut city capital projects by two million dollars a year. Which idea do you think is better, to reword the law and continue collecting the tax on telephone bills or do nothing and cut the ciry"s capital budget by two million dollars a year? % n Reword and continue collecting .........................................................61.29 ............. 245 Do nothing and cut $2 million .............................................................22.53 ............... 90 Don't know/not sure ............................................................................16.18 ............... 65 19. Another idea is to ensure that the tax applies to all phone calls. Currently the tax applies to calls within California but not interstate calls or calls to other countries. And calls made over the internet, cable, DSL or private T-One lines are not subject to the ciry tax. Would it be a good idea or a bad idea to apply the tax to all calls, no matter where they go and no matter what technology is used to place them? The tax on internet calls would not become effective unless the federal law prohibiting taxes on the internet is changed. % n Goodidea ............................................................................................39.63 .............159 Badidea ...............................................................................................50.02.............200 Don't know/not sure ............................................................................10.36 ............... 41 20. Still another idea is to reword the city law and tax all calls but also reduce the rate of the tax on telephone bills from the current five percent to four percent. This would mean the tax on a$100 telephone bill would be $4.00 instead of $5.00. If this were done, the ciry would receive $500,000 less per year than it does now. If the city decides to ask voters to approve a change in the wording of the tax, should it keep the tax on telephone bills at five percent or should it reduce the tax on telephone bills to four percent? % n Keep the telephone tax at 5% ............................................................40.97.............164 Reduce the telephone tax to 4% ........................................................45.89 .............184 Don't know/not sure ............................................................................13.15 ............... 53 21. If the tax on telephone calls were broadened to include all calls, interstate and in state and regardless of the technology involved, that would raise enough money to cover the city's loss of funds from reducing the tax rate from five to four percent. Therefore, the City could both broaden the tax and reduce the rate and taxpayers as a whole would not end up paying any more or any less than they do now. Do you think this is a good idea or a bad idea? % n Good idea ............................................................................................48.60 .............194 Badidea ...............................................................................................35.92.............144 Don't know/not sure ............................................................................15.48 ............... 62 Now I am going to read some things people are saying about the utility tax. For each one, please tell me whether you agree or disagree with it. (PRESS FOR STRONGLY OR ONLY SOMEWHAT.) (ROTATE) Agree Agree Disagree Disagree Not Stron4lv Somewhat Somewhat Stronplv Sure 22. The utility users tax is a fairly harmless way for the ciry to raise money for capital improvements. Keep the tax rate at five percent for all utilities .........................................36.85........ 28.99 ............16.40..........14.61........3.15 147 ........... 116 .................66 ............... 58...........13