Letters to the Editor

Letters to the editor are a great way to focus attention on Prop. 15. Getting LTEs published shows the public that this reform will generate over $12 billion each year for schools and public services without raising taxes on homeowners or renters. Below is the list of LTEs that have been published in support of making large corporations pay their fair share.

For tips on how to write and submit your own letter, check out our LTE Campaign Action Center!

Recently Published

Homes, small business exempt from Prop. 15

James Nguyen - Mercury Times, 10/30/20

The “No on Prop. 15” campaign will have you think that voting yes will mean increasing taxes on homeowners and small businesses. Nothing could be further from the truth. The passage of Proposition 15 will lead to the closing of a long-standing tax loophole corporations have used to escape paying their fair share of property taxes in California.

Propostion 15 will explicitly exempt homeowners and small businesses. In fact, some businesses could see a reduction in property taxes if the initiative is passed. Proposition 15 will reclaim billions every year for our schools, community colleges, and essential local services like fire departments and health care.

Don’t listen to the lies by corporate interests to protect their tax loophole. Let’s put schools and communities first. Vote yes on Proposition 15.

Landlords charge market rents without paying market taxes. Prop. 15 fixes that

John Ballon - Los Angeles Times, 10/07/20

Business groups are making the specious argument that Proposition 15 will push up rents for small businesses. In reality, landlords cannot simply pass on unlimited costs beyond what the market will bear.

My business is in Glendale. Nearby shops are vacant, closing or struggling to survive. In this climate, my landlord, who had previously raised my rent several times, recently offered me a 35% rent reduction. She told me she did not want to lose any more tenants.

Commercial and residential rents are likely to continue their downward trajectory. Furthermore, there is going to be less need for brick-and-mortar spaces. The immediate impact of all this will be increased building vacancies and significant downward pressure on rents.

Small businesses face difficulties today, but rent increases aren’t one of them. In contrast, the rapid loss of tax revenue and the consequent painful cuts are real concerns. Businesses don’t want to set up shop in a city with inadequate municipal services and poorly funded public schools.

Corporate loophole closed with Prop. 15

Zipporah Collins - Easy Bay Times, 09/03/20

Your Aug. 28 editorial against Proposition 15 leaves out a key loophole in current law that Proposition 15 fixes: a “sale” of property is said to occur only when one owner takes 50% or more title to the property, as happens in most home sales.

But wealthy corporations structure buying property so that there are three or more owners, none with 50% title, so the property keeps its old assessment and low tax rate.

Proposition 15 will reassess commercial property regularly, whether sold or not, as it is in the rest of the U.S. More than 90% of the $12 billion a year in new revenue for schools and local services will come from the richest 10% of commercial owners. Vote yes on Proposition 15 to restore funds to our schools and local services. They need it now more than ever.