Proposition 13, and the whole Proposition 13 mentality, is finally coming
home to roost in California. The arrogant and foolish California idea that we could have whatever we wanted without taxing ourselves to pay for it is the same kind of heedless thinking that brought America the banking and mortgage crisis. Californians actually believe that they are overtaxed, that state government is hoarding cash or wasting it through fraud, abuse and avariciousness. But the populist idea that if we just cut waste out of government, everything would be fine is finally being proven false.
Coping with a $20 billion to $40 billion budget deficit without raising taxes means that we will lose our state parks. We will lose the safety net for the poor and disabled. People — including children — will die because they can’t afford health care and the state won’t have the money to provide it. Hospital emergency rooms will be so overcrowded that they’ll shut down. Our schools will see widespread teacher layoffs and staff layoffs. Local governments will find their property taxes siphoned off from the state, resulting in cuts to police, fire, libraries, local parks and rec. Higher ed will be deeply cut; California’s world-leading university systems will be degraded. And on and on.
Why? Because Californians would not raise their own taxes. For the cost of a few dollars, we will turn the Golden State into a third-world country, destroy our parks and schools, and turn the poor and disabled — including the children — out into the streets. Nice work, people of California.
We ARE overtaxed! Prop 13 saves families and retirees on fixed incomes from losing their homes. You do realize that repealing 13 now would reduce housing prices and further exacerbate the foreclosure crisis. Home ownership per se is not good – but long term home ownership is.
We DO have too much government waste and inefficiency. We can not support golden benefit and retirement packages and inflexible work rules that legislators vote themselves and their supporters. Government needs to flatten and reduce its mission – get out of everything but public safety and education. The private sector does everything better and more cost effectively because its their skin in the game.
Ever bureaucracy is run for the benefit of the institution and its members and not the people. Greed is not only found in the private sector, but most of us have to compete to keep our jobs. The public sector only has to make sure they keep spending and have socialist friends like you in the media to support their political power.
A few dollars? $20-40 Billion is a few dollars? Its about $1000 per man woman and child in the state!
Government will not change if you keep feeding it all the money i “needs”. So shock, as unhealthy a way to budget as it is, is our only option. Both Parties are a joke. We need a libertarian revolution in this State and, hopefully in this country.