• Property tax reform Property tax reform Wally Roberts, age 67, of San Clemente CA appears to recommend a California Style “Proposition 13” property tax reform for your Charter in the September 18 Forum Section. He claims: The only people
• Property tax reform
Property tax reform
Wally Roberts, age 67, of San Clemente CA appears to recommend a California Style “Proposition 13” property tax reform for your Charter in the September 18 Forum Section. He claims: The only people in California who don’t like Prop 13 are the tax-and-spend politicians and those recently buying property for the first time.
I’m disagreeing with Mr. Roberts; here is a short list of the life style destroying damage done by Prop 13 property tax reform:
Public School Disaster:
Prop 13 has been a disaster for California schools. Last year wealthy California ranked 37th in the nation for public school spending. Many Californian’s (sadly, me included) have further abandoned the public schools out of frustration and fear. It’s cost me a fortune as a single parent to send my daughter to an expensive private school to avoid situations in the public system. Taking money from Kaua‘i schools will cause further rich/poor class stratification. “Ice” addiction and “ice” crime will have opportunity to thrive.
Gambling: After Prop 13 took the school funds California decided a state lottery would fix the schools. All we got was a hidden tax-on- the-stupid. The schools continue to get worse. Fast-buck legislators are now pushing for approval of the largest casino in the world near a residential Bay Area neighborhood. What happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas, not spill over next door to family homes. What’s next? California State run brothels?
Public Employment and Services: If you work for the County of Kaua‘i a Prop 13 style tax reform will affect your compensation and benefits, no question. If you enjoy county parks or think county roads are bad now, consider how to approach tax reform carefully.
Housing Your Children: Prop 13 helped turn California seniors into some of the wealthiest landowners anywhere yet they complain their children can’t afford to move out of the house until age 35. Could it be the lousy education they provided plus the increased taxes on new homebuyers?
Brenda and Donald Montara
El Granada CA
