While Proposition 13 did offer the people desperately needed tax relief, what it also did was leave the perpetrators in power. Had the people not possessed the option to cut property tax rates, they would have had to get rid of the Democrats to obtain said relief. My bet is that California would have been better off and this would be a very different State today.
Yes, I know what the rates were; here in Santa Cruz they peaked at 8.5%, equivalent to $42,500 in property taxes PER YEAR for a $500,000 home today.
Of course I agree with your point completely. The major thrust of my point is that horror of people in this country wanting to reach back and impliment practices from countries that couldn't allow freedom to their subjects.
Kind of reminds me of Isrealites in the wilderness yearning to go back to Egypt when Moses was out of town doing business with the almighty. As the bible puts it, they are like dogs returning to their own vomit!!!
Nearly all these measures are being crafted by the same type lobbyists that pester legislators for special interest gains. Voting no on all them would usually be adviseable, I think.
Tax stabilizing measures are the only good ones as starving a suffocating and squandering government is always a good idea!!!
Your county, Sac and others were going for an annual 8+%/year property tax before we cut them off with prop 13.
The link below has the Nor Cal Tea Party recommendations for the props on our ballot this November:
http://norcalteaparty.com/2012/november-2012-proposition-recommendations