Businesses need to turn down the music

Are there any local businesses that do not have rock music blaring?

We hear it at Ralphs, Rite-Aid, Kmart, PetSmart, Payless Shoes, IHOP, Shakey’s, Taco Bell, Pinkberry, Chase bank, Hometown Buffet and many other stores. Often we have to ask the manager to turn it down because it is so loud.

Do business owners think that their customers’ shopping and dining experience is enhanced by them being forced to hear loud rock music? Think again.

Steve and Teri Thompson

La Crescenta

Prop. 13 should be modified, not scrapped

We bought in 1986 so our property taxes aren’t as low as Gerry Rankin’s, but we share his concern for fair play (“Past Brown-era tax law is not sacrosanct,” Feb. 13).

We really don’t need to scrap Proposition 13 in its entirety to save California’s schools and infrastructure; we need only split corporate-owned property from that owned by individuals. The unintended consequence of the 1978 initiative is that corporate-owned property is now assessed at roughly 60% of its value.

Corporations rarely die, especially those set up specifically to own property. Humans do not live nearly as long, plus they move around a lot more. Because each new owner has a new assessment, individually owned homes eventually are assessed at current value. Giant corporations continue to enjoy the benefits of doing business in a society paid for by younger families like Rankin’s neighbors.

Urge your representatives in Sacramento to modify Proposition 13 to require corporate-owned property to be reassessed every five or seven years or so. Meanwhile, you can donate to local nonprofits what you would pay in property taxes if your home were reassessed each year.

If you don’t have the extra cash, you can volunteer your time. Property taxes used to support our schools, so the Glendale Educational Foundation is a good choice.

Sharon Weisman

Glendale

Kimber’s column on elections rang true

Thanks to Dan Kimber for his column regarding elections that focus on issues (“Education Matters: Socrates could clean up dirty elections,” Feb. 17).

Kimber satisfied his own “test of three”: His words were true, they were good, and they were useful.

Dan Cabrera

Glendale