2013 - Time to Reform Prop. 13
Brad Johnson
2013 -- it's finally time to reform Prop. 13.
Prop. 13 was sold to voters as a way to protect homeowners. What they didn't tell us is Prop. 13 created a giant corporate tax break. While our school system is crumbling, rich corporations like Google are paying pennies in property taxes on some of the nation's most valuable land.
Prop. 13 is full of loopholes that allow corporations or anybody who can afford expensive lawyers get out of paying their fair share. For example, corporations and wealthy individuals can form shell companies to keep ownership shares under 50%. Corporate cheating on Prop. 13 is so rampant there's an entire state agency devoted just to catching them.
Enough is enough. California schools are being decimated while corporations pay property taxes from 30 years ago. This is unfair and needs to be stopped. Let's make 2013 the year to reform Prop. 13.