Thank Goodness for Proposition 13

Re “To Shore Up Our Quality of Life, We Need Higher Taxes,” July 13:

Richard Ramella states, “We need to rescind or modify Proposition 13, the results of which have placed a much greater budgetary burden on our government agencies than was ever anticipated.”

When Proposition 13 was passed in 1977, property taxes were out of control. Homes cost about $50,000, and restrictions were put in place to prevent most homeowners from taking advantage of the reduced property-tax rates if they sold the property or moved.

Though I don’t have a specific percentage of people still under Proposition 13, I would estimate that only 25% of the people still qualify. Since 1977, the price of homes has risen to an average of $400,000 in Orange County, and the amount of money now coming in at 1% of the higher-selling prices has been wasted by the politicians and educators. The roads are still bad, and the kids still can’t read and write. Getting rid of Proposition 13 would only give the spenders more money to spend and drive more people out of the county and California. The answer is to control spending and leave Proposition 13 alone.

Anthony Petrucelli

Fountain Valley

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Population planning is the cure of all our financial shortfalls. Our promiscuous society and superfluous appetites of developers and politicians will be the demise of man. Don’t blame Proposition 13 for lack of funds. Many of those properties have already been turned over and sold and are now taxed at full fee. Those that are not being sold are most likely supporting our elderly homeowners who have paid their dues and are entitled to their roof.

P. Pearson

Huntington Beach