Jerome E. Horton, Chairmant of the Board of Equalization, top 5 priorities

By Jerome E. Horton

The Board of Equalization has become one of the most efficient, effective, and responsive state agencies in the nation and we have had fabulous success serving and protecting California Taxapyes. Thank you for taking the time to review my top five priorities as a Member of the Board of Equalization

Increase State Employment Opportunities for economically challenged
students. I have established a college recruitment and internship program, in my district, designed to encourage economically challenged students to consider an career with the state of California; specifically the BOE and FTB.

In addition, working with my colleges, I sponsored various initiative to expanded the Board of Equalization's employment outreach program to provide greater access to employment for economically challenged students. I also sponsored a "Employment Pathway To Success" seminar where over 800 students from the local public schools attending to learn about alternative employment opportunities after high school, college, or trade school. If elected I hope to continue this work.

Help California Business grow and prosper in California thereby generating more revenue for public education. Since the beginning of my representation of the constituents within the 4th Board of Equalization district, I have presented over 120 different seminars, conferences and symposiums, designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs as well as small, medium, and large California business owners gain access to state, federal, and local resources, increase their self compliance with the state and federal tax codes, and create quality jobs. Statistically, such effort increase self compliance with California's tax laws and tax revenue to the state. I seek to continue this work.

Help recapture a significant portion of the $9 billion lost to the illegal activities of criminal business enterprises operating in the underground economy thus increasing funding for education and other badly needed services. While in the legislature, I authored several measures that empowered the Board of Equalization to investigate, arrest, and convict criminal activity and confiscate tons of illegal products that were being peddled on the streets of California.

As the chair of the Board of Equalization, along with my board colleagues, we have expanded these programs to help arrest human traffickers, gun smugglers, and other criminals operating in the underground economy. This past year, the Governor signed legislation that I initiated (AB576), that will form a task force that creates a collaboration among state taxing agencies to be even more effective and efficient in arresting criminals operating in the underground economy. If elected, I will continue my efforts in this area, as well as the presentation of any additional legislation that will benefit Californians and contribute to our state's General Fund as well as the coffers of individual cities and other municipalities.

I intend to continue my "Campaign Against Poverty" designed to provide the working poor accesses to federal, state, local resources, including tax credits, and other funding and services. Currently over 1.5 Billion in federal tax credits and upward $180 million in state tax credits to the working poor goes unclaimed annually. One of my priorities is ti recapture these funds.