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This page was last updated on October 07, 2004
We oppose Measure J for the following reasons:
(1) Locals do pay motel taxes (at hotels away from urban areas, allied organizations, friends and family, romantic nights away from home, RVers, organizations on retreats).
(2) Neighboring Indian casino-hotels do not charge taxes. They are, and will increasingly be, the major competition for Fresno area hotels and motels.
(3) Users and supporters of tourism bureau should fund the bureau through private donations, tourism club memberships, voluntary motel fees, corporate donations.
(4) A private tourism group is more accountable because its donors will have more control, through its donations, over the operation of the organization.
(5) Ripping off visitors is not a hospitable thing to do; culture of coercive contributions harmful to society; ways exist for each person to contribute voluntarily.
(6) Ballot measure indicates lack of priority to public officials; “actions speak louder than words”.
(7) A "low" tax rate also means voluntary fundraising should be relatively easy.
(8) Administrative costs to businesses of collecting taxes significantly cuts into profits.
(9) Administrative costs to government of auditing and enforcing tax assessment reduces the efficiency of the agency.