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Life in LA just got more expensive — and the reason will shock you

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Angelenos woke up Thursday morning to find everything cost even more. The county sales tax rose half a percent overnight, and is now a staggering 10.25%.

And some communities will pay even more, due to local taxes. Santa Monica shoppers will pay 11.25%. If you buy anything in Palmdale, your sales tax is 11.75%. That’s the highest in the nation.

It sounds incredible, but it’s true. 

And it’s all thanks to Measure ER, which barely passed in the June primary.

The Board of Supervisors placed the measure on the ballot — with one dissenting vote from Kathryn Barger. They said the new tax would only last five years, and would pay for healthcare. 

(Get it? “ER” = “emergency room,” which is where you might end up after seeing your grocery bill.)

California voters consistently told pollsters that the high cost of living was the No. 1 issue for them in this year’s elections. And yet voters in LA somehow decided to make everything more........

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