MIDDLE CLASS TAXPAYERS GROUP FORMS, HOLDS EVENT IN SAN DIEGO TARGETING INSURANCE INDUSTRY

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version Share this

 

July 14, 2011 (San Diego) – “The Middle Class in America is endangered. Every single day, we work hard and do our share in supporting ourselves, our families and our country. Yet, we see our incomes cut, our assets gambled, and our quality of life threatened,” reads the webpage for the newly-formed Middle Class Taxpayers Association (MCTA) in San Diego.

 

The group aims to represent middle class people and small business owners, who founders believe are “not served by big business-funded taxpayer groups.”  Case in point: MTCA points out that most board members for the existing San Diego County Taxpayers Association (SDCTA) work for major corporations including Wal-Mart, Sempra/SDG&E, Chevron, healthcare industry interests and big businesses.

 

Ten business lobbying organizations are also reflected the SDCTA board, representing contractors, realtors, petroleum and other special interests. (See full list: https://sites.google.com/site/middleclasstax/). The SDCTA has been a watchdog for “wasteful” spending and an advocate for downsizing government spending and outsourcing business to private companies—a move that directly benefits many of its members or the groups they represent.

By contrast, Middle Class Taxpayers Association has no corporate backing. Founders say working people who pay taxes need representation on issues that impact their families and small businesses.

 

The new MCTA group aims to educate the public and support policy decisions on “issues that concern the middle class” including “ jobs/employment, safety net (Social Security, Medicare), healthcare, quality of life/environment, financial debt, asset building, moral public budgeting, housing, small business development, education, retirement security, and consumer safety.”
 

The group hosted its inaugural event on July 6 at the Rolando Library in the College area, where California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones spoke about how the health insurance crisis is impacting the middle class in San Diego. More than 100 people attended.
 

“Dave Jones was an excellent advocate for consumers , and supported the reasoned and balanced voice for the middle class that is not serving corporate interests,” said Murtaza H . Baxamusa, Phd, secretary-treasurer of the Middle Class Taxpayers Association.
 

Jones criticized health insurance companies for pocketing huge profits while continuing to hike premiums for consumers. “The top five insurers in the nation in 2010 made $11.7 billion dollars,” he said, the Reader reported. “That’s a 17 percent increase from 2009 when they made $9.9 billion and a 51 increase from 2008 when they made $7.8 billion.”
 

Jones asked support for SB 52, a bill that would allow the state insurance commission to regulate rate increases for healthcare premiums—something 35 other states already allow.
  

MTCA Board member Pat Zaharopoulos took aim at a growing gap between executive pay and wages for average workers. 

“In 1970 the CEOs got about 28 times what the average worker got, we’re now at about 158 times that,” she noted By contrast, in Europe, leaders are paid approximately 25 times what workers receive in wages, Zaharopoulos concluded.
 

For more information on the Middle Class Taxpayers Association, including biographies of board members, mission statement, and how to join, visit www.middleclasstaxpayers.org

 


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.