There's a common misconception about Proposition 13 that people who "have it" are paying the same property taxes they paid in the 1970s. In fact, ALL property in California is protected by Prop 13 from what had been annual reassessment to market value. Increases are capped at 2%.
The $1 billion of cap-and-invest money being dumped into high-speed rail each year is a sacred cow for both Newsom and the construction union.
Nobody wants to touch high-speed rail
Lawmakers and interest groups are hunting for dollars to fund climate programs, but no one wants to touch a notorious, long-delayed rail project.
www.politico.com
Opinion: John Moorlach: AB 1383 is a costly pension mistake in the making
John Moorlach: AB 1383 is a costly pension mistake in the making
If lawmakers send AB 1383 to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, he should veto it before it becomes a millstone around ...
www.ocregister.com
Bay Area, do you see a pattern here?
In November, vote NO on Measure RTM
If you do nothing else at the polls 🗳️ in November, vote YES on Prop 43. Restore the integrity of Prop 13. Politicians have chipped away at Prop 13. A YES returns the original intention. #YESon43 #SaveProp13 Read: https://buff.ly/zoCOS63
Opinion: Editorial: AB 1383 is a slippery slope to another pension tsunami
Editorial: AB 1383 is a slippery slope to another pension tsunami
Few lawmakers seem willing to exercise the bare minimum of fiscal responsibility
www.ocregister.com
New column: California's clashes over business regulation rage on as legislative session nears end
California's clashes over business regulation rage on as legislative session nears end
Unions, consumer groups, personal injury lawyers and environmentalists are battling business groups over surveillance pricing and anti-monopoly bills.
calmatters.org
California’s #PropertyTax system continues to deliver.
📊 $9.1 trillion in assessed value
💰 $100 billion in property tax revenue
🏫 $53.5 billion supporting schools
Behind these numbers are the services communities rely on every day.
Explore https://bit.ly/BOE_2024-25_AnnualReport
This November the Bay Area will see a Regional Tax Measure on the ballot.
Supporters only have lies, scare tactics and straw man arguments to support an insane $17B, 14-year lock-in bailout. 🧵
Here is their latest hit piece👇 1/12
Taxpayer Protection of Prop 218 Undermined by Democrat Bill AB 2180.
The Legislature is not empowered to interpret the Constitution, and legislation that conflicts with judicial interpretation of the Constitution is void.
@CaliforniaGlobe 👇article link👇
If you're heading to LAX, wear a helmet in case you get hit by falling bond ratings.
Meet the latest frontrunner in California's competition for Most Non-Functional Transit System:
Susan Shelley: How Los Angeles drove its airport train off the rails
At least SkyLink will be good for business. At Burbank, Ontario, Long Beach and John Wayne.
www.dailynews.com
Opinion: Jon Coupal: When does a “citizen” initiative cease being a citizens’ initiative?
Jon Coupal: When does a “citizen” initiative cease being a citizens’ initiative?
Don’t believe them when they tell you this is about the will of the people or democracy.
www.ocregister.com
“Temporary” tax hikes rarely disappear, but it doesn’t have to be this way. By rejecting Proposition 3, California voters can break the tradition and make sure that a temporary tax truly is temporary.
This high-income tax was pitched as 'temporary.' California voters can ensure it stays that way
Proposition 3 is not about whether education matters, but whether it is good policy to extend tax hikes voters were told would expire.
calmatters.org
Think your home is assessed higher than its market value?
1. Contact your County Assessor’s office to request an informal review.
2. Submit information that supports your case.
3. If needed, formally appeal to your County Assessment Appeals Board.
🔗 https://boe.ca.gov/pdf/pub800-10.pdf
Opinion: Jon Coupal: Inspector General slams latest high-speed rail plan
Jon Coupal: Inspector General slams latest high-speed rail plan
We’re sorry for flogging a dead boondoggle, but can the news about California’s High Speed Rail project get any worse?
www.ocregister.com
The Contra Costa Civil Grand Jury report from June nailed the root cause of bay area #transit's "Doom Loop", a failure to plan:
“BART’s five-year (FY2027-FY2031) financial forecast does not identify a path to structural balance without new dedicated revenue, additional cost
AB 1383 — Watching Another Train Wreck In Slow Motion. California’s cities, counties and Capitol have been choking on defined benefit pension plan annual required contribution payments.
Why do taxpayers have to underwrite gold-plated pension benefits for government employees who
Join CDTFA’s Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights Meeting on Aug. 19. You can share feedback in person, by phone, or online: https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/tra/tbor-meetings.htm.
What do Carpinteria, Hercules, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Pacifica, Palo Alto, Rohnert Park, San Gabriel, San Pablo, Santa Maria, Santa Rosa, Santa Barbara County and Santa Cruz County have in common? They now can pass taxes above the 2% cap that was in place before this waiver.
Opinion | Prop. 43 gives voters the opportunity to restore what state courts have eroded: a taxpayer protection in the state constitution that requires local special taxes to have the approval of two-thirds of voters to pass https://cal.news/4cys8oS
📝 Susan Shelley
📸 Jules Hotz
Guy who's been governor for nearly a decade wants to know why nobody did anything until now to reduce regulatory hurdles on homebuilding.
"Newsom signs bill limiting development fees to spur affordable housing construction" @GavinNewsom
Newsom signs bill limiting development fees to spur affordable housing construction
Gov. Gavin Newsom joined local officials in Oakland on Monday to sign legislation aimed at encouraging more home construction across California.
www.cbsnews.com
Opinion: Jon Coupal: When does a “citizen� initiative cease being a citizens’ initiative?
Jon Coupal: When does a “citizen� initiative cease being a citizens’ initiative?
Don’t believe them when they tell you this is about the will of the people or democracy.
www.ocregister.com
ICYMI: Jared Walczak analyzes the negative impacts that Prop 40 would have on California's ability to attract and retain entrepreneurs and jobs.
You're invited to a live remote broadcast of the John Phillips Show at Pineapple Hill Saloon & Grill in Sherman Oaks, September 4 from noon to 3:00. You can pick up free YES on 43 yard signs and campaign gear. Join @Johnnydontlike, @randywangradio and me for a fun afternoon.
Opinion: Susan Shelley: Obamacare’s failure proves socialists are bad at math
Susan Shelley: Obamacare’s failure proves socialists are bad at math
The Affordable Care Act offered up a promise that everyone can have everything at everybody else’s expense. T...
www.ocregister.com
BREAKING: Residents of all five counties affected by the November transit tax have filed a complaint in Santa Clara Superior Court alleging that the summary of Ballot Measure RTM is Untrue and/or Argumentative, and/or Prejudicial thereby violating California election law.
Did politicians forget the pension crisis of 2010 or do they just not care? Maybe it's the union $$$ that motivates them. "Lawmakers set to give more lavish pension benefits to state’s highest-paid workers." @hjta.
Lawmakers set to give more lavish pension benefits to state’s highest-paid workers
Assembly Bill 1383 is a taxpayer-funded handout to highly compensated, long-tenured employees that won’t attract or ...
www.ocregister.com
The #CaliforniaStateBoardofEqualization will meet on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
#Taxpayers may attend in person, view the live webcast, or listen by phone.
View the public notice and agenda: https://boe.ca.gov
If you live in Concord and want to oppose the City's proposed $2.9 million tax increase on businesses, please DM me. CoCoTax is looking for residents to sign an opposition ballot argument that we will be turning in next week.
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association's campaign for YES on 43 has free yard signs and other campaign gear to help spread the word that Proposition 43 makes it harder to raise taxes. Get it here: https://forms.gle/c7mEyM2o6hjaqKkA9
Did politicians forget the pension crisis of 2010 or do they just not care? Maybe it's the union $$$ that motivates them. "Lawmakers set to give more lavish pension benefits to state’s highest-paid workers." @hjta.
Lawmakers set to give more lavish pension benefits to state’s highest-paid workers
Assembly Bill 1383 is a taxpayer-funded handout to highly compensated, long-tenured employees that won’t attract or ...
www.ocregister.com
It's not about the students. It's about sustaining an ossified, corrupt bureaucracy. "Los Angeles Schools Run Out of Other People’s Money." by Allysia Finley via @WSJopinion @hjta.
Opinion | Los Angeles Schools Run Out of Other People’s Money
A Covid hiring binge and lavish union contracts leave the district on the verge of going broke.
www.wsj.com
Opinion [and fact]: "California’s pension funds are rigged to stick taxpayers with the bill." @hjta. via @sfstandard
Opinion: California’s pension funds are rigged to stick taxpayers with the bill
AB 1383 would let CalPERS and CalSTRS keep lowballing what they ask public employees to pay, leaving taxpayers to cover the gap — again.
sfstandard.com
Jon Coupal: The two-thirds vote requirement for taxes is fair @hjta.
Jon Coupal: The two-thirds vote requirement for taxes is fair
As this nation’s first Chief Justice, John Marshall, noted in 1819, “The power to tax is the power to destroy.”
www.ocregister.com
Endorsement: Yes on Proposition 43, make it harder to raise taxes @hjta.
Endorsement: Yes on Proposition 43, make it harder to raise taxes
As it stands, the final measure is praiseworthy, as it puts the brakes on local governments’ ability to collude ...
www.ocregister.com
Prop 3: The Forever Tax
Prop 3: The Forever Tax
By James Fenkner, CFA
open.substack.com
Wonderful. Should really help L.A.'s reputation heading into the Olympics. "The Typhus Rats of Los Angeles @hjta.
The Typhus Rats of Los Angeles
A medieval disease is rocking the vermin-ridden county.
www.city-journal.org
Let's not forget this. "As high-speed rail cost estimate soars, state lawmakers move to hide information from taxpayers." @hjta.
As high-speed rail cost estimate soars, state lawmakers move to hide information from taxpayers
The California high-speed rail system’s price tag continues to grow, even though there is little hope that Califor...
www.ocregister.com
Progressives' assault against Direct Democracy rights reaching new heights. "These days the collusive trusts with the most power are between government and special interests that rely on ever-higher taxes and spending." via @WSJopinion. @hjta.
Opinion | Democrats Turn Against Direct Democracy
They’re using courts and legislative tricks to block citizen initiatives.
www.wsj.com
California falls behind Texas in Fortune 500 ranking
California falls behind Texas in Fortune 500 ranking
This year, 57 of the top companies are headquartered in Texas, compared with California’s 56. It’s a reversal ...
www.latimes.com
CA Governor Candidate Steve Hilton Says 'Enough Is Enough' via @YouTube
The secret about Prop. 13 hiding in plain sight. "Jon Coupal: Prop. 13 richly funds local governments while protecting taxpayers. @hjta.
Jon Coupal: Prop. 13 richly funds local governments while protecting taxpayers
Unfortunately, praise for Prop. 13 rarely comes from local government officials, even those who know how Proposition 13 helps them.
www.ocregister.com
Good @dwalters piece. "California has a top-ranked economy. It’s also one of the nation’s most unequal." So, is wealth inequality correlated with progressivism? Seems like it. @hjta.
California has a top-ranked economy. It’s also one of the nation’s most unequal
If the next governor and legislators are serious about improving the state’s standing, they should dive into the details.
www.ocregister.com
Businesses and homeowners are susceptible to rapacious politicians when there is no local taxpayer organization. "CA's County Taxpayer Groups Are an Endangered Species - The Free Market Movement Should Save Them." @hjta. https://californiaglobe.com/fr/californias-county-taxpayer-groups-are-an-endangered-species-the-free-market-movement-should-save-them/
John Seiler: Public financing of elections is a terrible idea. No on Prop. 4. “Public financing just opens government to one more area of corruption,” Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association President Jon Coupal told me. @hjta.
John Seiler: Public financing of elections is a terrible idea. No on Prop. 4.
“Public financing just opens government to one more area of corruption”
www.ocregister.com
Can we please start calling this for what it is: Legalized graft. "The CA Governor says Trump is targeting him for political reasons, but the news has also brought some public attention to a shadier side of California politics." via @WSJopinion. @hjta
Opinion | All of Gavin Newsom’s Donors
The Governor, his wife and California’s ‘behested payments.’
www.wsj.com
A little history lesson for Governor Newsom. "No, The Framers Would Have Hated the Billionaire Tax." @hjta.
No, The Framers Would Have Hated the Billionaire Tax
Below is my column in the Wall Street Journal on the bizarre claim of Gov. Gavin Newsom and others that the ...
jonathanturley.org
It never stops. "Billionaire or not, California is coming for your money." @hjta. via @sfchronicle
Billionaire or not, California is coming for your money
OPINION: “A flood of Biblical proportions is coming to California and, no, I’m not talking about the weather,” columnist Emily Hoeven writes.
www.sfchronicle.com
This Week Two People Hold The Fate Of California’s Tax Battles
This Week Two People Hold The Fate Of California’s Tax Battles
The fate of two major statewide tax measures may be decided this week by two men sitting in private negotiations.
open.substack.com
The compelling case for @SteveHiltonx in one read. "California Needs a Pro-Business Governor by @SteveHiltonx." via @WSJopinion
Opinion | California Needs a Pro-Business Governor
The state leads the country in unemployment, poverty and the cost of living. Even Fareed Zakaria has noticed.
www.wsj.com
No, it's not the end of the world. The Local Taxpayer Protection Act merely restores the original language of Prop. 13. "Officials warn a California ballot proposal changing voting thresholds on local tax initiatives could cost San Jose millions." @hjta.
Officials warn a California ballot proposal changing voting thresholds on local tax initiatives...
San Jose officials warn a statewide initiative could void the city’s Measure E property transfer tax, threatening ...
www.mercurynews.com
My column in @ocregister with our good friends at National Federation of Independent Business. United for the common good! "California small businesses and homeowners are uniting to save Prop. 13." @hjta.
California small businesses and homeowners are uniting to save Prop. 13
California small businesses have also been hurt by the erosion of the two-thirds vote requirement for local special taxes.
www.ocregister.com
Video made with Grok Imagine
My column in SDUT about a couple of taxpayer victories. Don't give up on California just yet. "Opinion: Two welcome displays of tax sanity in San Diego." @hjta.
Opinion: Two welcome displays of tax sanity in San Diego
These taxpayer victories should give other Californians real hope.
www.sandiegouniontribune.com
Notice the deflection by Newsom. "California falls behind Texas in Fortune 500 ranking." @hjta.
California falls behind Texas in Fortune 500 ranking
This year, 57 of the top companies are headquartered in Texas, compared with California’s 56. It’s a reversal ...
www.latimes.com
A worthy read. "An Inconvenient Environmental Truth." @hjta.
An Inconvenient Environmental Truth
By Mike Stoker, esq.(ret.), Professor James W. Rector (UC Berkeley), Professor Michael Mische (USC), and Joseph Silva (UC Berkeley)
open.substack.com
“Nobody’s asking the critical questions as to whether we’re getting the value for the existing dollar,” said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. "Tax to bail out struggling Bay Area transit agencies appears headed to voters."
Tax to bail out struggling Bay Area transit agencies appears headed to voters
Supporters say they’ve gathered enough signatures to place a sales tax measure on the November ballot.
www.mercurynews.com
Well, duh. "In 2022, LA voters approved a new tax on sales of the city’s most expensive properties. Opponents say it is making L.A.’s housing shortage worse." @hjta. via @WSJ
Los Angeles Tried to Tax Mansions. Apartment Construction Tanked.
Developers say the levy is making L.A.’s housing shortage worse. The city is considering changes.
www.wsj.com
Gee, who would have thought that all that free stuff would attract drug addicts from other states to move to L.A.? "More Than Half of L.A.’s Homeless Are Not from L.A." @hjta.
More Than Half of L.A.’s Street Homeless Are Not from L.A.
The magnet effect is real—and fatally undermines the “housing first” narrative.
www.city-journal.org