Spending Limits in California

There is much more to the story of Proposition 13 than Nolan would like to admit.

First, is the fundamental unfairness of it. This is all but admitted by Proposition 13 co-author Paul Gann as he tries to belatedly change the formula. The law favors greatly those who bought their houses prior to 1978. For these homeowners property taxes were rolled back and future increases were limited. Homeowners purchasing after 1978 are taxed on the current property value. The result is that neighbors living next door to each other can be paying grossly different amounts of taxes on similar properties. Whether intended or not, older, more financially secure residents pay much less in taxes than younger Californians who have purchased since 1978.

Second, services in the state, once second to none, are now atrocious. The University of California, the nation’s preeminent state university, has slipped badly. Our high school classrooms have more students per teacher than any in the nation. Our roads are in disrepair and our freeways have ground to a halt. At the same time, the mentally ill have been discharged and wander the streets homeless, due to lack of funds for mental health clinics. Pregnant women go without prenatal care and proper nutrition, costing the state untold millions in long-term costs. California has lost several major high-tech projects, including the superconducting collider, as other states surged ahead because of their commitments to infrastructures and educational spending.

Finally, the public should not deceive itself into believing services, however limited, come cheaply. When your library fees, park and recreation fees, tuition fees for education, licensing fees, and traffic tickets go up and up and up, thank Proposition 13.

Finally, the state’s economic boom has little to do with alleged tax advantage gained by the proposition and much more to do with President Ronald Reagan’s deficit spending binge fueling the state’s defense industries. We will pay this piper soon.

ALAN GORDON

Sacramento