Public Employee Unions want to change Prop. 13 so busness property tax goes up & up more every year. (Paradise: wealthy, homeowner)

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by PrudentialBroker

Man I remember when Prop 13 came out, so many ppl were against it.

I was too young to own anything then, but I remember that every homeowner I knew was for it.

How could anyone have been against a proposition that eliminated guesswork and anxiety, every time the homeowner opened his or her property tax bill? Before Prop 13 passed, there were homeowners who had already decided to sell and move out of state since they couldn't afford their unpredictable and escalating property taxes.

https://www.retroreport.org/video/mad-as-hell/

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by PrudentialBroker

Man I remember when Prop 13 came out, so many ppl were against it.

Yep... just about every public employee, union, elected officials etc... the effort was tremendous.

To really understand Prop 13 you need to understand two things.

The Home Owner Exemption which only applied to homes was woefully behind the times... the $7500 exemption really meant something when a modest home cost 12 to 15k...

Had the legislature simply indexed the exemption for inflation it is doubtful Prop 13 would have enjoyed the 2/3 voter support it received... there are quotes from politician saying they wanted the voters to decide never imagining it would get anywhere and at the eleventh hour the State even floated a competing measure...

Second... and very important where schools are concerned is the Serrano Decision where the State took over school funding and the local tax dollars that went to local schools... it was one thing to pay higher taxes with the money going to local schools but many voters were outraged the State was taking local money and let it be known at the ballot box.

I still remember my Dad sitting at the kitchen table saying we were up against the wall when he opened his tax bill with double digit tax increase... this is when we had gas lines, inflation, stagflation, energy crisis... etc.

Even the most generous voters had enough.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

I was too young to own anything then, but I remember that every homeowner I knew was for it.

How could anyone have been against a proposition that eliminated guesswork and anxiety, every time the homeowner opened his or her property tax bill? Before Prop 13 passed, there were homeowners who had already decided to sell and move out of state since they couldn't afford their unpredictable and escalating property taxes.

https://www.retroreport.org/video/mad-as-hell/

... and there were not enough home owners to comprise the 2/3 that voted for Prop 13... many hoped to be voters also voted for it.

Both my grade school teacher and my uncle were renters at the time Prop 13 became law... both had their rents reduced as a result of Prop 13...

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

I was too young to own anything then, but I remember that every homeowner I knew was for it.

How could anyone have been against a proposition that eliminated guesswork and anxiety, every time the homeowner opened his or her property tax bill? Before Prop 13 passed, there were homeowners who had already decided to sell and move out of state since they couldn't afford their unpredictable and escalating property taxes.

https://www.retroreport.org/video/mad-as-hell/

It appears that those against it do not care about homeowners, just about their being able to buy from a homeowner who will lose his house over excessive taxation. Very self centered.

[Ultrarunner]

Too much short term thinking...

I am the youngest in my neighborhood with the oldest and smallest home...

I pay the largest Property Tax Bill... and I do not begrudge my mostly retired neighbors one bit... they make the street the wonderful neighborhood it is.

On the flip side... I fully intend in 30 to 40 years to join them in the ranks of lower taxes...

They long ago retired the bonds for the sewer and drainage and infrastructure that I enjoy simply by choosing to buy here.

I believe the greatest fallacy is the thinking a recent buyer will pay less in taxes if those that have owned for a long time pay more.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

I believe the greatest fallacy is the thinking a recent buyer will pay less in taxes if those that have owned for a long time pay more.

Absolutely.

[boxus]

They should just fix the problem; quit connecting property taxes to the value of the home.

It is the only tax that is not dependent on the means of the person to pay it, unless being homeless is considered a legitimate alternative. It is also a tax that is not connected to a person's use of services the tax pays for.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by boxus

They should just fix the problem; quit connecting property taxes to the value of the home.

It is the only tax that is not dependent on the means of the person to pay it, unless being homeless is considered a legitimate alternative. It is also a tax that is not connected to a person's use of services the tax pays for.

Very true... every other tax I can think of has a trigger... income, spending, importing etc.

Property Tax just happens...

Prior to Prop 13 getting priced out was a very real problem... government must now at least received at least 55% voter support to build or rebuild a school and 2/3 for everything else.

Tax an individual out from under the roof over their head is about as un-American as it gets.

As mentioned... I have been on the receiving end of a 80% tax increase over what I had paid 18 months prior on an Arms Length transaction... Washington State.

How can California be running out of money when it is at the top when it comes to taxation and has abundant resources?

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Very true... every other tax I can think of has a trigger... income, spending, importing etc.

Property Tax just happens...

Prior to Prop 13 getting priced out was a very real problem... government must now at least received at least 55% voter support to build or rebuild a school and 2/3 for everything else.

Tax an individual out from under the roof over their head is about as un-American as it gets.

As mentioned... I have been on the receiving end of a 80% tax increase over what I had paid 18 months prior on an Arms Length transaction... Washington State.

How can California be running out of money when it is at the top when it comes to taxation and has abundant resources?

Why does a business with a valuable product, many buyers, huge level of income, still find itself running out of money and raising prices?

[V8 Vega]

When 13 passed it took 2/3rds to get schools built or rebuilt too. The Communists got it reduced to 55%.