Taking Power Away From the Minority

* It’s sad when Camarillo’s schools and Ventura’s libraries are denied crucial funding. It’s outrageous when one-third of the voters can dictate this result against the wishes of twice their number. Whatever happened to the concept of majority rule, so basic to democracy?

You have to go back to the adoption of Proposition 13 in 1978. At that time, California was riding a seemingly endless tide of prosperity. Property values were continuously rising and so were property taxes, to which they were tied. Property owners rebelled. Proposition 13 rolled back property taxes and capped increases at the current 2% per year. But the tax revolt didn’t stop there, and that’s how we got the two-thirds requirement for any property-related tax or bond measure.

In 1978, prosperity enabled the state treasury to pick up the tab for the loss of property taxes. Alas, times have changed. The state and counties are running deficits and vital services--yes, including schools and libraries--are being cut. Whenever a community wants to restore some of those services, there stands the one-third minority blocking the way.

So what can be done? It took a simple majority to adopt Proposition 13. It will take another simple majority to repeal or modify it. The Legislature must start the process. Write your assemblyman and state senator.

This is not a question of being for or against more taxes. Everyone would like to see less taxes. It is a question of how we govern ourselves.

RUDOLPH PETERSDORF

Ojai