Proposition 13

ARTICLE: Polls Still Show Strong Support for Prop. 13

tgaul — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:41:11 -0800

As this blurb in the Sign On San Diego News reports, critics of Proposition 13 frequently make the claim that the voters no longer support the proposition and the two-thirds requirement. However, polls once again have proved this claim to be utterly false. In fact, only a small percentage of voters wish to see legislative change in these areas.

Click Here to read the article. Read more >>

ARTICLE: Prop. 13 Wasn't the Start of Our Troubles

tgaul — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:11:15 -0700

HJTA president Jon Coupal wrote an article in the Sacramento Bee, explaining how Proposition 13 was not the start of California's plunge into debt. In fact, it is what has helped to stabilize the state's income, while property value dropped and the state's spending flailed out of control.

Click Here to read the article.

ARTICLE: Don't Blame Voters for California's Budget Woes

tgaul — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:13:29 -0700

This article from the Wall Street Journal replies to the accusations that voters are somehow to blame for California's billions of dollars in debt. Legislators blame voters even though only a portion of government spending programs were locked in place by voter initiatives. Instead, the government's ever increasing spending habits on things like the labor unions (which constitute a third of the budget) are very clearly the cause of California's mountain of debt. Read more >>

(PR) Lawsuit to Overturn Prop. 13 is refiled in Superior Court

tgaul — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:08:04 -0700

“He’s Baaaaaack…”

Charles Young’s lawsuit to overturn Prop. 13 is re-filed in Superior Court

Sacramento -- After the California Supreme Court refused to hear a case claiming that Proposition 13 is unconstitutional, plaintiff Charles Young has now re-filed his case in Superior Court.

The case challenges the provision of California’s Prop. 13 which requires a two-thirds vote by the Legislature to raise taxes or enact a budget. Prior to Prop. 13, the Legislature could enact a tax increase by a simple majority vote. Read more >>

(PR) Tax Commission Report Is Positive For Prop. 13 and Income Tax, Worrisome For Business Tax

tgaul — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:35:25 -0700

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Issues Statement on Release of Tax Commission Report

Sacramento – In response to the release of the California Tax Commission report, Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, released the following statement today: Read more >>

ARTICLE: Old 13 Props Up California

tgaul — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:42:12 -0700

In this article, Charles Crumpley of the Los Angeles Business Journal describes how Proposition 13 has actually had the side effect of stabilizing California state income, despite plummeting property values. He concludes that critics of Prop. 13 should really be thanking it.

Click Here to read the article.

ARTICLE: Supreme Court Upholds Two-Thirds Requirement

tgaul — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:35:40 -0700

The Supreme Court promptly dismissed the most recent lawsuit to overturn the two-thirds vote requirement, which claimed that the requirement was "unconstitutional." The court invoked its previous decision on the matter, in which it declared the requirement to be perfectly in line with constitutional law.

Click Here to read the article.

ARTICLE: LAUSD Seeks to Raise L.A. Property Taxes

tgaul — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:26:12 -0700

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is attempting to pass an increase in property taxes by bypassing Proposition 13. Though the LAUSD claim these additional funds would improve L.A.’s broken education system, the funds would more likely be used to pad teachers’ salaries and to prevent layoffs. Associated Content reports on the full story.

Click Here to read the article. Read more >>

The Legal Front

tgaul — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:32:59 -0700

On Saturday, July 11, HJTA’s President Jon Coupal called me at home. “Monday morning the troops need to man the battle stations,” he said. A new legal assault had been launched on Proposition 13 just as the courts were closing on Friday, and he wanted HJTA to join the battle without delay. Read more >>

ARTICLE: New Budget Raises Woes Among Officials

tgaul — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:31:20 -0700

Though legislators have finally settled on a budget solution, questions remain about whether it will truly be enough to bring California out of debt. Over the next week state financiers will be finalizing numbers on the budget, state debt and state revenue. These numbers could require a full overhaul of the current budget plan. This article in Business Week gives the full report.

Click Here to read the article.