by Richard Rider
When it comes to gathering sufficient property taxes, Prop 13 is no problem at all – except for profligate spenders. Look at the history of my San Diego County – a history which pretty much reflects the history of property taxes in the urban/suburban counties that hold over 85% of California’s population.
According to the SD County Tax Assessor, in 1977 – the year BEFORE Prop 13 took effect (when everything was working great, according to Prop 13 critics) – our countywide property tax revenue was about $639 million. In the 2011-2012 fiscal year, our county assessor reported real estate property tax revenues of $4.550 BILLION. For every property tax dollar collected in 1977, the county in 2011-12 collected $7.12. And BTW, according to the County Assessor, since Prop 13 passed, 97% of the pre-Prop 13 county owner-occupied homes has changed hands (and been reassessed) at least once.
During that time frame, our county population has grown about 85%, and inflation has gone up about 253%. Hence property tax revenues today are substantially higher than the bloated PRE-Prop 13 year, even after adjusting for inflation and population growth.
California in 2009 ranked 15th highest in per capita property taxes (including commercial) – the only major tax where we are not in the worst ten states. But CA property taxes per owner-occupied home were the 10th highest in the nation in 2009.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/251.html and http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/1913.html (2009 latest year available)
To see how CA ranks numerically against the other states on tax, regulation, litigation and other economic factors (with confirming URL’s), go to: http://www.TinyURL.com/CA-vs-other-states and read the latest updated version of my dreary fact sheet “Breaking Bad – CA vs. the Other States.”
Jack…no wonder your depressed about California, Jack.
Holy God…go to the “Breaking Bad…” link at the bottom of the article and ALL of the stats showing California’s negative choking atmosphere. No wonder folks are bailing out and no wonder our kids can’t find jobs!
Well done Mr. Rider and thanks for a giant contribution to the cause for freedom and common sense.
I am so sick of hearing about Prop 13. People were howling about how bad it was at the height of the housing bubble when houses in my neighborhood were selling for way over $400k. We collect plenty in property taxes, we need to stop spending more than we collect.
You aren’t fooling us with that “per capita” stuff. California has the LOWEST property tax rate in the country. However we have high property values, because people want to live here. If you don’t like the deal you are getting in CA, live somewhere else.
Jim, let’s be really honest here okay? I enjoy the tax break that came with prop 13 and I bet you do too and there was a darn good reason we have a Prop 13. Remember why? Folks were being taxed right out of their homes that they loved. Their neighborhood went up in value to the point they couldn’t pay the taxes. They were forced into selling and then they had to move to new area late in life. That’s not fair.
But, property tax is just one part of the problem what about all those other taxes that makes up the heavy load for Californians?
We must look at is the total cost of all those taxes we pay to be honest, not just one. When you do that, you find we are the most taxed in the nation and look what we are getting for our tax dollars? Not much! High taxes and too many regulations are hurting our businesses and costing us jobs Jim and that’s why Sacramento is running low on revenue. We’re losing too many taxpayers to other states. We can’t afford to tell these people to take a hike.
We can’t keep going this direction or we’ll destroy ourselves.
Jim, I don’t want to see this formerly rich state with all that we have to offer go down the tubes because of bad management, we must change course.
As taxpayers leave the taxtakers come in behind them. Just look at how many taxtakers we have now! CA has 34% of the nations welfare recipients Jim…what does that tell you? It tells me we doing something terribly wrong in Sacramento.
Jim, considering the huge burden we carry in the welfare non-home owning class (we have more than our “fair share”), high state taxes, high tax and regulatory burden on business, and the high sales tax your argument doesn’t really hold up. States with higher property taxes than ours often don’t have any sales tax or income tax and are a lot friendlier to business. In those states property tax pays for everything.
What exactly do you like about this states wasteful excessive spending and high taxes. What does it buy that is of value in your opinion?
I ask because living in this state is something many of us did when it was doing much, much better and we don’t see why it can’t be again. Why would you praise a broken, corrupt system?
The high property values also have a lot to do with the Carter years when inflation went through the roof and sent property values soaring in places like Silicon Valley and the rest of the Bay area especially!
Depending on how things go both in California and in the country under President Obama we may yet see inflation like that again. The policy has been to keep inflation in check artificially…you can only do that for a little while. (And then Boom)
Right on Princess!
Oh and it wouldn’t hurt to grow the tax base with job creation and a booming economy. Put the power and money back in the hands of the people and the entrepreneurs will take off!
This just seem to fit in every article on Post Script.
10 Most Awesome Conservative Quotes:
1. Ronald Reagan
“In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”
2. Margaret Thatcher
“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”
3. Mark Twain
“No man’s life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.”
4. Charles Krauthammer
“To understand the workings of American politics, you have to understand this fundamental law: Conservatives think liberals are stupid. Liberals think conservatives are evil.”
5. Will Rogers
“I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.”
6. Calvin Coolidge
“Don’t expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong.”
7. Winston Churchill
“I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.”
8. Dwight Eisenhower
“If you want total security, go to prison. There you’re fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking … is freedom.”
9. P.J. O’Rourke
“If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it’s free.”
10. Ayn Rand
“The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.”