Proposition 13 is a tax reform bill that was adopted in 1978. It capped tax rates on residential property, businesses, and farms (California Tax Data, par 5). Under Proposition 13, real estate is only assessed when it changes ownership (California Tax Data, par 8). While almost any measure that promises to reduce taxes is met with support from many citizens, there are some who now claim that this proposition caused damage and that is now time to call for a repeal of the legislation (Friedersdorf, par. 1). Now, many claim that it harms school funding, and in this way, harms the future of California (Kilgore, par 4). California Proposition 13 harms the public programs that taxation is designed to help fund and should be repealed.
It is not surprising that homeowners are in favor of keeping Proposition 13 because it places a cap on property taxes. For those who intend to stay in their home for the long-term, it means that they may be able to pay taxes at the lower rate for the rest of their life. While it is true that small businesses would suffer from the tax repeal through having to pay higher taxes, they may also gain more equity in their property.
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Currently, schools face rising operational costs and overhead, just like other businesses. The costs of maintaining their property, transportation, and utility costs continue to rise. Yet, due to freezes on tax assessments, they are not receiving a proportional increase in tax revenues. When schools are under an increasingly tight budget, many programs and activities must be cancelled. Students must learn on outdated equipment and this places them at a disadvantage. People, such as my parents, enjoy the advantages of not having to cope with tax increases. Their years of raising children are passed, but they fail to see the harm that underfunded schools cause in the community.
- California Tax Data. “What is Proposition 13?” www.californiataxdata.com/pdf/Prop13.pdf Accessed 11 May 2019.
- Friedersdorf, Conor. “After 40 years, Proposition 13’s failures are evident.” 2018 June 4. Los Angeles Times. www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-friedersdorf-prop-13-20180604-story.html . Accessed 11 May 2019.
- Kilgore, Ed. “California to Vote on Partial Repeal of Sweeping Tax Law” Intelligencer. 17 August 2018. nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/08/california-to-vote-on-partial-repeal-of-sweeping-tax-law.html. Accessed 11 May 2019.
