Los Angeles Times Liberal LOVES Higher Property Taxes (Robert Scheer Alert!)

The Los Angeles Times ^ | 8/19/03 | Robert Scheer

[goldstategop]

An amazing thing happened on the way to the California recall: Someone spoke the truth about the state's financial predicament. Billionaire investor Warren Buffett, ballyhooed as a top economic advisor to Arnold Schwarzenegger, told the Wall Street Journal that property taxes in California are ridiculously low.

He's right. Thanks to Proposition 13 in 1978 — an initiative no less stupid than the current recall and also put on the ballot by Republican conservatives — the state lost its most reliable tax base. Voters capped annual property assessment increases at no more than 2%. The property is reassessed at market value when it is sold. This gutted the core funding source upon which every other state relies to provide public services.

[goldstategop]

These two paragraphs of the liberal Robert Scheer's rant against Proposition 13 says its all. He must be the only person (apart from idiot Warren Buffett on whom mindlessly lavises praise in a long stupid screed in favor of higher property taxes) in California who thinks we pay too little to the government for our real estate - businesses and homes. And no surprise he cottons up to Buffett in proposing property taxes be jacked up even higher. A liberal could be this oblivious to political and fiscal reality - only in California. Speaking of the fiscal reality part, Scheer still hasn't realized the reason why California in such dire financial straits is that it spends more than it is taking in revenue. Like Duh. With regards to the political reality side of it, a talk with average voters would quickly disabuse Scheer of the notion Californians want their taxes raised. But now you know that liberal condescension and arrogance is still very much alive 25 years after the voters passed Prop. 13 and that is exactly why we need it more than ever.

[onyx]

Prop 13 is to Kalifornian's as Social Security is to seniors: UNTOUCHABLE!

[goldstategop]

Even Arnold knows political and fiscal reality better than the stupid liberal Scheer: Here is Arnold's position on Prop. 13. Even The Terminator gets it! Duh.

For Immediate Release August 17, 2003 Contact: Karen Hanretty/310-314-2681 Darrel Ng

Schwarzenegger Makes Statement on Prop. 13

“I am extremely pleased I will be able to draw upon the wisdom of my friend Warren Buffett and other giants on the world stage such as Secretary George Shultz not only during this campaign, but also once I become governor.

"Warren and I have talked about Proposition 13, and he clearly understands my strong unequivocal support for the initiative.

“I supported Proposition 13 25 years ago, and I support it today. Two months ago I was honored to serve as the keynote speaker at the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association Proposition 13 silver anniversary gala.

“Twenty-five years ago, the people rose up and demanded relief from outrageous property taxes. The politicians of California at that time were unresponsive to the people’s needs. Elderly Californians on fixed incomes were afraid that they could lose their homes. So the people showed the politicians who was the boss.

“Today, we are involved in a recall election because we again have a governor and government who have been unresponsive to the needs of the people.

“This is the principal reason I decided to run for governor. I am calling together the brightest minds in the business, financial and investment communities from throughout this state and country to help put California’s economy back on track and to help me formulate my economic agenda.

“I expect many dynamic ideas and policy recommendations from my team. But with regards to my position on Proposition 13, my position is rock solid in support of that initiative.”

[Bullish]

Liberals like Scheer are worse than Karl Marx in his prime.

It's a wonder we're not all slaves by now with these types of liberals around.

[goldstategop]

Exactly. Such condescension for average folks in our state won't win the likes of Scheer any friends. I am pleased to see Arnold come out with forthright statement of complete support for Prop. 13. There's hope for him and while he's not all the way there yet, he's on the right track about the economic agenda our state needs to come back from the abyss. I look forward to hearing more details from Arnold on Wednesday.

[onyx]

But for the LATimes, Scheer would be just another screwball leftie preaching his anti-American venom at USC.

[goldstategop]

Yes... he probably would. One can see why it comes to California politics, he's not a bright bulb. Even the Democrats during election time won't dare to touch Prop. 13 with a 10 foot pole.

[truth_seeker]

Of course it means nothing to this guy, that Prop. 13 allows people on fixed incomes to keep their homes.

Everybody in CA benefits from Prop. 13. Every home/property owner KNOWS the amount of taxes they must pay, now and into the future.

Places where property is reassessed to some current market value, subject the owner to wild swings, and possibly NOT affordable taxes.

I hasten to predict that many fixed income folks in CA now own homes values at $500,ooo (like Buffett) and that taxes of $14,000 pa (like Buffett) would force them to sell--putting them out of their beloved homes.

Nebraska's property taxes are TOO HIGH.

And most places with high property taxes do not ALSO have high income, sales, liquor, tobacco, gasoline taxes as CA does.

[nickcarraway]

Is this the same Robert Scheer who is usally telling us that the megarich are destroying the country? Maybe Buffett can fund an effort by Scheer to bring back Ramparts. Unlike Warren Hinkle, Buffett is the real deal

[Caipirabob]

It's a wonder we're not all slaves by now with these types of liberals around.

I attribute it to the some 80 million guns in the hands of private citizens and the overwhelming willingness to use them. ; )

[alloysteel]

What you pay for property taxes in California is based on the valuation of the property at the time you acquired the property. So long as the purchaser retains ownership in the property, the asssessment, which in other venues would rise as the average prices in the locality increase through comparison with resales of similar properties, is limited to some small percentage growth annually. Thus two otherwise nearly identical residences, side by side, could have annual tax bills that vary on a magnitude of ten times or more. The difference would be, that ownership on one changed within the past year, and the ownership on the other has not changed in more than 30 years.

Is this confusing? Darned straight. Is this fair? Well, is anything in life fair?

[Cheapskate]

L.A Times to California subjects"You dumb@ss peasants put down the pitchforks and get your wallets out"

[mewzilla]

I think the peasants are just getting out. And if it keeps up, there'll be hardly anyone left to tax, Mr. Scheer. Surely even you can understand that.

[chainsaw]

Warren Buffett, ballyhooed as a top economic advisor to Arnold Schwarzenegger, told the Wall Street Journal that property taxes in California are ridiculously low.

How about instituting a state property tax on the value of stocks and bonds a person owns or is in control of. I'll bet Buffett would be against that tax, big time.

[goldstategop]

I would love to see rich liberals take out their wallets and fork most of their income over to the government. They should set a personal example in public selflessness don't you think? I mean that's what they're always exhorting the peasants to do.

[Fee]

Any newspaper that advocates your economical suicide should be boycotted.

[tcostell]

Thanks to Proposition 13 in 1978 — an initiative no less stupid than the current recall and also put on the ballot by Republican conservatives — the state lost its most reliable tax base.

They lost nothing of the sort.

Californians still pay huge amounts in property taxes. What they lost was the ability to raise the tax with impunity over the objections of the tax payers. This had the effect of shutting down the main source of funding growth for the Teacher's Union but did not thwart the unions ambitions. Hence, fiscal crisis.

In New York, the system is set up so that the local school system first makes it deal with the union (usually negotiated in a bubble with a minimum of taxpayer involvement) then the taxes are raised however much is necessary to pay them off. This compartmentalizes the process and makes it harder for the typical taxpayer to understand where all the money is going.

In California, the voters had the temerity to interrupt that process.

How dare they limit the amount that can be stolen from them each year. After all it's for the children.

[BlackElk]

Do you think Scheer will take a leave of absence to become Arnie's press flak?

[BlackElk]

Any allegedly Republican (!!!!) candidate whose HERO, MENTOR and advisor (Warren Buffett) advocates sticking it to citizens by raising property taxes to the sky and taking the shackles off greedy government's ambition for stripmining your paycheck and your assets, ought to be boycotted too.

[ErnBatavia]

Scheers's probably a renter....and when the percentage of voting renters gets to a certain point, the Anti-13 crowd will rise again.

Given this state's current real estate situation, they're probably closing in...