Former Gov. Jerry Brown often said that he subscribed to the “canoe theory of politics” — paddle a little to the left, a little to the right and then glide down the middle. He deployed that strategy through many of the crises he had to manage. From this conservative’s perspective, he did a lot more […]
Last week, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association filed a lawsuit against California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for his abject failure to produce impartial ballot material related to Proposition 15, the “split roll” attack that seeks the partial repeal of Proposition 13. What Proposition 15 does can be described simply: It raises property taxes on commercial […]
Anyone who’s ever managed a household knows that it’s not only how much money you make that matters. It’s also how much you spend. California’s budget is vastly more complicated, and less transparent, than family finances. So it’s even more important for taxpayers to watch closely as elected officials spend our money. The Howard Jarvis […]
By Jon Coupal and Ernest J Dronenburg Jr Come November, Proposition 13 faces its biggest political battle at the ballot box. It is instructive to ask whether that iconic tax affordability measure remains good tax policy for California. As the just-released property tax assessments rolls from several California counties reveal, Proposition 13 is working exceedingly […]
We all know that there is an endless list of addictive substances that present a real danger to people. Alcohol, cocaine and heroin just to name a few. But a powerful addictive substance provided by our own government is public money. Few things can get individuals and institutions more hooked than that. Although we’ve known […]
The assaults on California property owners and taxpayers never stop. And once again the California Legislature has advanced a massive tax increase at the last possible moment when they thought no one was paying attention. Assembly Constitutional Amendment No. 11 (ACA11), approved by the California Legislature, takes away Proposition 13 protections that California families have […]
California’s budget process has become so warped it would make even Niccolò Machiavelli blush. The annual spending plan was never easy for citizens, the media and even political insiders to understand. But for the last decade, it has been perverted into a wholly political process devoid of transparency. Sacramento politicians will crow that they have […]
Times are strange indeed when the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association finds itself fighting on the same side as left-leaning organizations such as Voices for Progress, Common Cause and the ACLU. The saying that politics makes for strange bedfellows is never more true than in times of crisis and confusion. When the COVID-19 virus descended on […]
Earlier this year, this column raised the alarm over the resurgence in the use of “pension obligation bonds,” a risky financing method that fell out of favor during the 2008 recession but is now making a comeback. Fortunately, there is more scrutiny on this form of debt financing than in years past, and taxpayers are […]
Under California law, proposed initiatives must be presented to the California Legislature in an “informational hearing” open to the public. Legislators do not vote on the proposals because these are initiatives that have already qualified for the ballot. The hearings are mostly for the benefit of policy leaders and the public. Because the infamous “split […]
