When does a “citizen” initiative cease being a citizens’ initiative? That’s a question we’ve been asking since 2017 when the Supreme Court’s decision …
California Commentary
The two-thirds vote requirement for taxes is fair
Proposition 43, appearing on this November’s statewide ballot, will close a court-created loophole in Proposition 13 that gave the green light to …
With friends like these …
In both California and the nation at large, there is a perception that Republicans are more fiscally conservative than Democrats. While voting records …
Prop. 13 richly funds local governments while protecting taxpayers
Two-thirds of California voters consistently tell pollsters that they think Proposition 13 is a good thing, but even with more than 48 years of …
Tax hikes just keep rolling in and people keep rolling out
If anyone thought that the budget that the legislature just passed reflected any degree of fiscal responsibility, let us disabuse you of that notion. …
Californians shouldn’t fall for split roll
Ever since Proposition 13 was passed with the support of nearly two-thirds of California voters in 1978, “reforming” it has been a high priority for …
How HJTA got Sacramento to surrender on tax hike loophole
Earlier this year, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association turned in 1.3 million signatures and successfully qualified the Local Taxpayer Protection …
The bullet train’s threat to local governments
In April, the Senate Transportation Committee held an informational hearing on the latest version of the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s …
Tom Steyer’s solution for everything is another tax
To a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. To billionaire and gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer, every problem can be solved by a tax …
How the wealth tax allows the Legislature to circumvent Prop. 13
Sacramento politicians are asking Californians to believe a familiar story again: don’t worry, this tax only applies to someone else. This time, it …