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Health & Fitness

Take action NOW to stop the assault on Prop 13

On Friday, June 14, the state Assembly will vote on ACA 8, which would make it easier to raise your property taxes by making it easier to pass bonds for "infrastructure."

Under Proposition 13, two-thirds of the voters have to approve new bonds (which is how the government borrows money). The cost of new bonds is added to your property tax bill. Prop 13 deliberately made it more difficult to approve new bonds in order to protect homeowners from endless increases in their property taxes.

But Sacramento Democrats have an endless thirst for your money, and they're looking for ways to undermine Prop 13's protections. They have already lowered the threshold to pass school bonds from two-thirds to 55 percent. Now they seek the same thing for "infrastructure" bonds, which can be used for virtually any government construction or repair project. ACA 8 would allow new infrastructure bonds to pass with just 55 percent of the vote.

The problem with this effort is that everybody uses infrastructure, but only property owners would be hit with higher taxes to pay for it. There are at least four more proposals in the state Senate to lower the threshold for passing bonds (and raising property taxes) from two-thirds to 55 percent. This is a battle we will have to fight again and again.

I support Proposition 13, and I oppose all efforts to lower the threshold for raising taxes. Homeowners are not a safety deposit box full of cash for Sacramento Democrats to raid whenever they choose. You can call Assembly Member Bob Blumenfield, who wrote ACA 8, and tell him what you think about it. Call today or it will be too late. The District office number is (818) 904-3840 and the Sacramento number is (916) 319-2045.

Bob Blumenfield will resign soon to take his new job on the L.A. City Council. I'm running to replace him, because Valley residents need a representative in Sacramento who understands that higher property taxes are an unfair burden that we just don't need.

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