See: L.A. Sales Tax Hike: Will $211 Million Increase Fix City's Problems?

The early absentee ballots are in, and while it's still early on, it's begining to look like your taxes are not going up.

With around six percent of votes counted, Proposition A is losing by ten points, 45 to 55 percent.

That could mean a bad night for City Council President Herb Wesson, who forced the tax hike onto the ballot after scant public input or discussion, as well as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, who are also backing the measure.

Prop A would raise the sales tax in Los Angeles from 9 percent to 9.5 percent, making it among the highest in state, along with Culver City and Santa Monica. It's supposed to raise $211 million a year in order to close an estimated $216 million budget gap. But critics say the tax will do nothing but postpone the inevitable – dealing with the city's ever-growing public employee health care and retirement liabilities.

The city had at first intended to raise fees for property sales, but after intense lobbying from the real estate industry, Wesson switched things up at the last minute and rammed the sales tax hike on the ballot. The Yes on A campaign has been heavily funded by the real estate, construction and billboard industries, as well as many public employee unions.

The No on A campaign is basically just Jack Humphreville posting on facebook.

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