Credit: Courtesy

Proposition 15 is a ballot measure that will eventually increase the property taxes on all commercial properties in the State of California. Commercial property will lose the protection of Proposition 13, and it will be taxed at full market value.

This is a great time to raise property taxes with tens of millions out of work, tens of thousands of business closed temporarily or for good. Tourism is so bad that hotels, motels, restaurants, malls, big and small are going bankrupt.

Ernest Salomon | Credit: Paul Wellman (file)

We are in the belly of the COVID-19 beast, and it will be 10 years before we recover from its steamroller effect on our lives. Thousands of businesses will not come back. Large and small companies are going bankrupt every day, as are families. Our homeless population will only grow.

Is this a great time to raise taxes and raise the cost of living? The answers of the people who are supporting Proposition 15 believe it is.

Oh, by the way, most of the people who support Proposition 15 are either State of California employees or work for another government agency. They collect their pay, benefits, and retirement and have no financial risk when Proposition 15 raises prices.  Their paychecks are indexed for any inflation. They can’t lose! Prices will go up if Proposition 15 passes. Trust me!

The arguments in favor of the proposition in your ballet pamphlet are not as truthful as they claim.

Not only will it increase the property taxes for “wealthy corporations,” it will also eventually increase the property taxes for many mom and pop owners of commercial space, as their property increases in value over a $3 million threshold.


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It will not, as proponents claim, “cut small business taxes” and “does not impact homeowners or renters.”  Oh yeah? Commercial landlords will pass on the increases in property taxes to their tenants including professionals, stores, and restaurants, who will in turn pass on the increases to you! Have no doubt; you will pay more for almost everything that you purchase if Proposition 15 passes! Proposition 15 is inflationary and will raise your cost of living! There is no free lunch!

This is my favorite — Proposition15 will “increase funding for schools and community colleges.” After decades of pumping untold billions into our K-12 schools, they have gone from being among the 10 best elementary school systems in our country to now being among the 10 worst elementary school systems in our entire 50 states!

As Proposition 15 relates to funding our community colleges; since a peak enrollment in 2010, the total community college enrollment has decreased each fall, declining by more than one million students. SBCC is no exception. Santa Barbara City College enrollment plunges, international students fall by 50 percent as of September 2020, according to the SBCC newspaper the Channels.

Take a look at the ballot measure supporters! They are some of the heads of organizations who cannot wait to get their hands on another $15 billion of your hard earned money. Administration of the boondoggle will cost billions of dollars to administer that cash-strapped cities will have to borrow from our cash-strapped state.

Read Proposition 15 online from start to finish. If you can completely understand what it says, then you are a lot smarter than I am. I cannot make sense out of some of the wording or meaning, and I am willing to bet that the proponents are in the same boat! If anyone totally understands it, please let me know.

By the way, you won’t find the text of Proposition 15 in your Voter Information Guide. It is so long and its wording is so convoluted that it is only available on the state’s website. They are hiding it from you in plain sight.

The heading at the top of the page describing Proposition 15 says, Increases funding sources for public schools, community colleges and local government services by changing Tax Assessments of Commercial and Industrial Properties. “Changing” is doublespeak for increasing!

Before you buy this Pig in a Poke, read Proposition 15 and then decide if you want to put it into concrete in your state’s Constitution!

Vote no! on Proposition 15 and stop the proponents in their tracks!


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