A proposed $500 million tax increase to put more police on the streets of Los Angeles has drawn fire from opponents who say top law-enforcement officials are trying to scare voters into approving it with commercials that raise the specter of a suburban crime nightmare.But Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, who along with police chief William Bratton is championing the November “cop tax” ballot initiative, defends the campaign and said voters need a grim dose of reality about crime in America’s second-largest city.
“Crime is a scary problem for all of us,” Baca told Reuters. “Crime is not something that anyone should take lightly.” The measure would raise the sales tax in Los Angeles to 8.75 percent, among the highest rates in the nation.
What’s the difference between the police and organized crime again? Ah, yes, the voters have a choice when it comes to giving the police a raise. Because if they don’t, well, what can the poor police do about the prospective suburban crime wave….