Several
hundred companies that do business in San Francisco, including
many that do business with the City of San Francisco, have sued,
claiming that the city’s business tax is unconstitutional. The
challenges involve lawsuits and administrative claims that total
approximately $300 million. The city has appealed. If the
plaintiffs were to win and all eligible taxpayers filed copycat
claims, San Francisco could be liable for a $800 million.
The city attorney has proposed a compromise
settlement that would pay the claimants $60–70 million and cut
business taxes by about $25 million a year.
The People’s Budget Collaborative wants to stand
and fight: “If the corporate raiders are successful, public
services will be devastated. Working people and small businesses
will be forced to pay to make up for the massive budget deficits
that will result.”
The following companies are seeking a refund of
their business taxes, levied on earnings reaped in the hospitable
Bay Area business climate — earnings that came out of your
pocketbook, and mine:
| 333 Market Street Associates |
Hellman & Friedman Investors |
| 425 Market Street Associates |
Hewlett-Packard |
| 50 Fremont Center Partners |
International Business Machines |
| 555 California Street Partners |
Interstate Brands West |
| ABC, Inc. |
J. N. Zippers and Supplies |
| ABM Industries |
Kelly-Moore Paint |
| ABM Janitorial Services — Northern
California |
KGO-AM |
| ABM Security Services |
Lee Electronics |
| American Commercial Security Services |
Levi Strauss |
| American Drugstores |
Levi Strauss Associates |
| Atlantic Richfield |
Littler Mendelson |
| Baker & McKenzie |
Lucky Stores |
| Banana Republic |
Macy’s West |
| Bay TV |
Macy’s.com |
| BEA Systems |
Main and Mission Associates |
| Bea Webxpress |
McKesson HBOC |
| Bechtel Construction Co. |
Neiman Marcus Group |
| Bechtel Enterprises |
Nordstrom |
| Bechtel Environmental |
One California Street Partners |
| Bechtel Financial Services |
Pacific Bell |
| Bechtel Group |
Pacific Bell Directory |
| Bechtel Infrastructure |
Pacific Bell Information Services |
| Bechtel National |
Pacific Bell Internet Services |
| Bechtel Personnel & Operation Services |
Pacific Bell Wireless |
| Bechtel Power Corp. |
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. |
| Bechtel Software |
Pacific Telesis Group |
| Calbody Steel Forming |
Pacific Telesis Legal Group |
| Charles Schwab |
Pacific Union Real Estate Group |
| Charles Schwab Investment Management |
Pacific Union Residential Brokerage Co. |
| Chevron |
Panther Creek Leasing |
| China Basin Ballpark Co. |
Peter A. Casciato |
| Chronicle Publishing Co. |
PG&E Corp. |
| Cost Plus |
PG&E Energy Services |
| Costco Wholesale Corp. |
PG&E Generating Co. |
| DFS Group |
Pillsbury Madison & Sutro |
| DFS Merchandising |
PMB Engineering |
| Donaldson, Lufkin & Jen- rette Securities |
Portco |
| Dorsett & Jackson |
Prestige Stations |
| Eastman Kodak |
Providian Bankcorp Services |
| EBS-West |
Providian Financial Corp. |
| Edison Brothers |
Russ Building Partnership |
| EOP-301 Howard Street |
Safeway |
| EOP-580 California Street |
Salomon Smith Barney |
| EOP-60 Spear Street |
San Francisco Baseball Associates |
| EOP-Maritime |
Sephora USA |
| EOP-Mission Street |
SFO Forecast |
| EOP-One Market |
Shorenstein Co. |
| Federated Systems Group |
Shorenstein Construction Co. |
| Federated Western Proper- ties |
Shorenstein Management |
| FML |
Shorenstein Realty Investors |
| Forty-Five Fremont Associ- ates |
Shorenstein Realty Services |
| Fremont Group |
Signatures Network |
| Fremont Investment Advisors |
Southern Wine and Spirits of America |
| Fremont Investors |
TECHTV |
| Fremont Partners |
Textainer Equipment Mfg. |
| Fremont Properties |
Union Pacific Railroad |
| Fremont Realty Capital |
Union Trust Mortgage Services |
| The Gap |
URS Corp. |
| General Motors |
URS Greiner Woodward-Clyde |
| Genuity |
Vivande Ristorante |
| The Good Guys |
Walgreen Co. |
| Hearst Communications |
Whitmire Distribution Corp. |
| Hearst Corp. |
Williams-Sonoma |
| Hellman & Friedman |
Xerox Corp. |
| Hellman & Friedman Administration |
|
