Prop 13 reform to be on 2020 ballot (San Jose: buying, school, quality of life)

[ysr_racer]

Originally Posted by Mike930

Gavin will pull it out of your ***, one way or another.

Gee thanks

[CaliRestoration]

Originally Posted by Elliott_CA

California business climate must be pretty good -- how else can it be the No. 5 most productive economy in the world and No. 1 in the United States?

"Production" is an additive measure.

If 5 people are busy making pencils, compared to 2 people making pencils, then yes 5 people will be more "productive" since 10 hands, all things equal, are more productive than 4 hands.

That literally tells us nothing.

Productivity PER capita would be a far more telling. I would also suggest another measurement called the maker/taker ratio. It measures the amount of net taxpayers versus tax takers within a state.

California has one of the worst maker/taker ratios in the country (e.g - there are more people dependent on government programs than people making net contributions to the tax base).

Do you think this is a good thing?

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Elliott_CA

California business climate must be pretty good -- how else can it be the No. 5 most productive economy in the world and No. 1 in the United States?

Large population, large number of businesses and very profitable large businesses. Now how does being #5 truly help people in the State? CA should have the lowest poverty, homeless and unemployed and ... it doesn't. Thus the #5 position does not benefit the majority, just some.

[alliance]

Originally Posted by Elliott_CA

Is it really necessary to be personally insulting?

I'm sorry but you have no clue about the real retail marketplace. If taxes go up 10% prices don't automatically go up 10%. Prices might go up 3% or 6% or some other number. Belt tightening happens and competition will decide how much of the 10% gets passed on to the consumer.

In California minimum wage went from $8 in 2014 to $11, an increase of 38%. Have prices gone up by 38%? No. I'm sorry but the hard data proves you are dead wrong.

Successfully running a multi million dollar business in SF might disagree with you.

And you're right, food at many restaurants have only gone up 30-40% since MW went up to $15 compared to the starting point at just under $12. Oh wait. There’s no question it was directly passed onto us the consumers.

I understand the numbers a bit better than you would like, my friend.

[BB_210]

Originally Posted by Elliott_CA

California business climate must be pretty good -- how else can it be the No. 5 most productive economy in the world and No. 1 in the United States?

It's good for business owners and government. Has done nothing to help the people that live here. Ranks low in education, affordability, infrastructure. Has done nothing to help the actual people, but let them fly that banner in yours and Trump's face, that'll show em alright.

[kettlepot]

While I don't see myself voting for this measure, there is one positive effect it might have.

Consider as an example, a 2 story structure on a busy commercial street - not a mall situation.

First floor retail, 2nd floor offices. However if redeveloped, they could have first floor retail and 5 or 6 stories of housing above it.

The owner considers the idea and thinks,

"There's risk in redevelopment"
"I don't know how to do it"
"I might have to take in outside partners and lose control or get into arguments with the partners"
"What I have now works well enough, and there's risk in changing it"
"I don't want to be a landlord for residents; They complain too much"

You get the drift. They don't have a compelling need to do something more. As a consequence, we have a shortage of land developable for housing, and Wingnuts in the state legislature want to arbitrarily drop 4 - 5 story apartment buildings into single family home neighborhoods.

Higher property taxes might be the force to motivate construction in our existing, underutilized commercial areas by stand-pat property owners.

I could be tempted to vote for something like this if it weren't for the thin end of the wedge argument. I know the proponents end goal is full dismantlement of Prop 13, and if they only got the split role, they would gouge the hell out of the commercial side of the tax ledger.

[BB_210]

^the gov should make it easier to rezone and develop, not take people's money.

[kettlepot]

Originally Posted by max210

^the gov should make it easier to rezone and develop, not take people's money.

I agree. Let's start with your neighborhood.

[BB_210]

Originally Posted by kettlepot

I agree. Let's start with your neighborhood.

I live in a house. In a residential area. Cool post.

[Kevroqs]

Originally Posted by Elliott_CA

California business climate must be pretty good -- how else can it be the No. 5 most productive economy in the world and No. 1 in the United States?

But it ranks dead last in quality of life