UC Pension Crisis Creates Teachable Moment
Californians have abysmally low levels of civic engagement as evidenced by the recent election where voter turnout set an historic low. And the widespread disengagement of California’s younger voters is even worse. True, in 2008 California’s youth turned out in large numbers to elect Barack Obama as President. And in 2012 they turned out again […]
Reprieve for Prop 13
By now, try most Californians have read dozens of analyses from experts and partisans alike about the meaning of last Tuesday’s election. Analyzing the national scene is not rocket science. Republicans romped and Democrats took a shellacking. But understanding the impact here in ever-so-blue California is a bit more complicated. While it is true that […]
It’s Scary Season Again—Time to pay your property taxes
For many the real scare this time of years is not the monsters at our doors on Halloween but the property tax bill in the mail box.
Greater Transparency on Threat to Property Owners
By Jon Coupal Legislation just signed by Gov. Brown may help alert homeowners to the threat posed by per parcel property taxes. Parcel taxes have become one of the most insidious threats to home ownership because they can be imposed over and above the property tax limits set by Proposition 13. Supported by […]
HJTA Asks Court to Reconsider Adverse High Speed Rail Bond Ruling
Sacramento — Today the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, advice one of the defendants in litigation brought by the State to validate the sale of $8.6 billion in bonds for California’s troubled high speed rail project, filed pleadings asking the Court of Appeal to reconsider its ruling, issued July 31, approving the bond […]
More Politicians Should Visit the Real World
By Jon Coupal For a week he walked the streets of Fresno, a homeless man looking for work. At night he slept on park benches, during the day he tried to ward off hunger, sometimes with the bananas a grocer sold him at five for a dollar. At the end of the week, […]
Lawmakers Focus on the Frivolous
Given California’s many serious problems, illness including high unemployment, a listless economy and drought, one might think our Sacramento politicians would not have time on their hands to promote laws that have no force or effect in California. One might also think it unwise, at a time when our state is surviving […]
ACA 6: New Attack on People’s Power
. By Jon Coupal We certainly understand the hostility that professional politicians exhibit against citizens using the tools of direct democracy. The People’s right of initiative, referendum and recall are effective tools to control an indolent or corrupt legislature. The powers of direct democracy are enshrined in the California Constitution for reasons that […]
Taxes–Lying in the Weeds
By Jon Coupal Once again it is time for taxpayers to get a good grip on their wallets because Sacramento politicians are looking to extend the “temporary” taxes imposed by Proposition 30, approved by voters less than two years ago. There is nothing more permanent than a temporary tax. They are as immortal […]
