Prop 13. A Tale as Old as Time.
A tale as old as time. California, in the 70s, right on the brink of progress, when all of a sudden…. BOOM. Howard Jarvis falls into the picture, institutes Prop 13, and completely screws over our state public education and public services programs. Proposition 13 was marketing under the slogan “let granny stay in her home,” when it should have been saying “tax breaks to the white and wealthy so POC are kept out of our communities.” A recent study found that White homeowners get tax breaks that are more than 80% higher than those given to Black homeowners. Prop 13 is not only a drain for students across California, it is racially inequitable and fundamentally unjust.
California is one of the few states that allows businesses, and not just residents, to get property tax breaks. That means corporations like Disney, which owned property in the 70s, pay property taxes that are over 20 times lower than they should be at present market value. We need to reform Prop 13 so rich entities like Disney foot the bill for California public schools and services. We need to reform Prop 13 to ensure that California homeownership is equally accessible to ALL, regardless of race.
Jeff Gritchen for the OC Register
Do Disneyland, Irvine Co., pay enough property taxes? Biggest-payers list raises Prop. 13 questions
By Teri Sforza, OC Register | 9/23/2022