I'll admit it, in any difference of opinion between Mayor Curt Pringle and coucilman Bob Hernandez, I'll tend to come in with a pro-Pringle bias, having watched this business-friendly Mayor from a distance and knowing of his past service in statewide office. Any self-doubt that my own predispositions might have been clouding my view of the ongoing Disney/Suncal conflict, however, were washed away when a reader gave me a heads-up on the most recent Anaheim city council meeting (I've since watched the video, available at www.anaheim.net).
Near the end of that meeting, Hernandez openly suggested that if Disney wanted to try to overturn the city council's change to Anaheim's General Plan-- a right to referendum afforded it by law-- then perhaps the company ought to face an entertainment tax!
While airing this stunning proposal, Hernandez even admits, "I'm not sure how large of an entertainment tax it should be," showing clearly that his tax-hiking scheme isn't some well thought-out matter of public policy, but merely a hot-headed, off-the-cuff attempt to frighten his opponents into submission.
How big should it be? Bob Hernandez probably thinks such a tax should be large enough to teach Disney never to disagree with him again.
I suspect readers here would very much like to know if those who side with councilman Hernandez on this issue also agree with him that Disney ought to be penalized with a new tax for simply holding a viewpoint which differs from his. If not, SunCal and all of its supporters should very publicly issue a rebuke of the councilman's careless, hostile remarks and make it clear that they do not believe in levying new taxes against those with whom they disagree.
There are lot of reasons most visitors to this blog should believe in the principles of limited government; this sort of bullying should be first among them.
What say you, SunCal?!