Taxpayers Association Gives Strickland Perfect Score

On Thursday, the California Taxpayers Association released its annual voting record analysis in which the taxpayer advocacy group publishes how state legislators acted upon laws the association feels would most affect taxpayers and the state’s economy. Moorpark’s representative Sen. Tony Strickland received a perfect score.

“I’m honored to have once again received a perfect score from the California Taxpayers Association,” Strickland said in a written statement. “Hardworking Californians are continually treated like the government’s own personal ATM machine and it’s got to stop. We need to maximize the precious dollars that already do come to Sacramento and instead of raising taxes yet again, focus on job-creation and putting people back to work.”

According to the association, calculations in the vote record include floor votes, committee votes, legislators who authored a bill but did not have a chance to vote on it and credit for legislators who abstained from voting on key tax bills that CalTax opposed. The number of bills voted on by each legislator varies depending on committee assignments and authorship.

CalTax President Teresa Casazza said the voting record the organization publishes helps taxpayers stay informed and active in their government.

"Votes on tax rates and other tax policies have a major impact on Californians and their employers, and all taxpayers should carefully monitor how their elected officials act on these critical issues," Casazza said.

Rep. Strickland joins 30 of the 120 California legislatures who were in 100 percent agreement with CalTax on these issues. Those lawmakers included 14 Republican senators, one Democratic senator (Lou Correa of Santa Ana) and 15 Republican members of the Assembly.

Moorpark’s representative in the Assembly, Jeff Gorell, was not ranked, as he is currently serving in the military in Afghanistan and has been exempted from most of this year’s votes. Of the two votes the organization was able to count, Gorell voted with CalTax.

The California Taxpayers Association is a self-described “nonpartisan, non-profit research organization established in 1926 to protect taxpayers from unnecessary taxes and to promote government efficiency.”

Visit the CalTax website for the full voting record analysis.