In defense of Prop. 13

Re “Bending Prop. 13,” editorial, Aug. 14

Your editorial is a disingenuous tax-and-spend pitch to throw out the significant protections afforded modest- or fixed-income, long-term owners of residential properties. The Times should research its 1970s archives to read all the horror stories about retirees on fixed incomes who were taxed out of their homes by rapidly rising assessments and property tax rates. This state is on the fast track to becoming another Third World enclave, with a whole lot of poor folks and a small cadre of Hollywood rich folks, media moguls and San Francisco limousine liberals.

WALLY ROBERTS

San Clemente

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The Times’ hostility to Proposition 13 never changes. The Times holds Proposition 13 responsible for the imposition of new taxes and charges. This makes as much sense as blaming melting glaciers for global warming.

Proposition 13 was a response to insensitive government officials who were allowing escalating property taxes to force Californians from their homes. The intent was to make taxes on property reasonable and predictable, and in this the measure has been an overwhelming success. What Proposition 13 did not do is make politicians smarter, wiser or less insensitive to the concerns of taxpayers.

One suspects that The Times wants to “revisit” the landmark measure not out of concern about the increase in taxes that have been imposed, but as part of an effort to increase revenues to the hungry public bureaucracy.

JON COUPAL

President Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn.

Sacramento