Don't complicate Prop. 13
05/13/2010
We strongly oppose AB 2492 (Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco), which would remove Proposition 13 protections from business property owners by imposing a “split roll” property tax that targets our state’s employers for a significant increase in property taxes and onerous new tax burdens.
AB 2942 would impose a volatile, arbitrary system of increasing business property taxes, including a rebuttable presumption that every three years, business properties have changed ownership and need to be reassessed. This is a “guilty until proven innocent” approach, requiring taxpayers to prove every three years that they did not undergo a change in ownership that would trigger reassessment. AB 2492 would also result in a tremendous paperwork and tracking burden for both companies and assessors.
Under AB 2492, property owners may be forced to pass along some of the tax increases to their tenants as higher rents, and consumers may see higher prices. Since many small businesses rent rather than own building space, they will be hardest-hit. Higher property taxes also reduce capital available for investment in rental housing and business plants and equipment within California, meaning fewer jobs.
Split roll tax proposals are based on the faulty assumption that there has been a major statewide shift in tax burden from businesses to homeowners. In fact, commercial properties contribute significantly in tax dollars — generating approximately two-thirds of the property tax revenues, just as they did before the passage of Proposition 13.
A split roll property tax will dramatically chill California jobs, investments and the economy. For these and other reasons, we oppose AB 2942 and urge your “NO” vote when it comes before you in committee.
Kay Brown, Oxnard
Misleading food review
In your April 15 edition, your food critic, J. R. Grant, reviewed a restaurant in Ojai called The Farmer and The Cook Restaurant.
It sounded wonderful, so although we live in Oxnard, we drove up to Ojai on a Thursday morning, to enjoy what sounded like a perfect breakfast for me (I’m a vegetarian). When we got there, about 10:30 a.m., we were told that they do not serve breakfast on weekdays, only on weekends, and they would not be serving until 11:30 a.m.
We were stunned; I reread the article, and sure enough, it says, “… breakfast and lunch are available daily …. ” We mentioned that to the individual, who told us they were not serving, but she curtly (and I mean “curtly”) repeated that they did not serve breakfast on weekdays. We left, never to return.
Our regimen is to go out to breakfast three or four times a week, and when we find a place we like, no matter how far, we will return. We were not happy about driving up to Ojai for nothing. (They did not offer us coffee or anything; merely told us to come back at 11:30 a.m.) We drove back to Oxnard and had breakfast at Mrs. Olson’s. (Always a good bet!) So, Mr. Grant, thanks for nothing. You might contact this restaurant and let them know that misleading a restaurant reviewer is not nice. And treating customers rudely is not nice.
Jan Schulman, Oxnard
Just say no to Valero
As if California didn’t have enough problems, we now have a Texas-based oil company – Valero gas — hijacking our broken initiatives process in an attempt to rollback our state’s landmark climate change bill. AB 32 was passed with support from Democrats in the legislature and was signed proudly by our Republican governor. It makes California — the planet’s 12th biggest emitter of CO2 — No. 1 in the world for legislated reductions of greenhouse gases.
Valero is the biggest contributor — $500,000 already — to a deceptive initiative effort to block implementation of AB 32. Until Valero backs down, Californians who care about stopping climate change and building a new green economy should boycott Valero gas. There are more than 800 Valero stations in California. Let’s tell the Texas oil barons: Don’t mess with California.
Scott Nass, Ventura
Firefighters in Ventura County support Susan Jordan
Recently, we were disappointed to learn of a misleading mailer circulated by the Das Williams campaign stating that Mr. Williams has firefighter support in Ventura. We would like to make clear that the organizations representing the overwhelming majority of firefighters in Ventura County, including the more than 500 rank and file firefighters of Ventura, Oxnard and Ventura County, have endorsed Susan Jordan because we believe she is the person best equipped to protect the public safety.
Chris Mahon, President
Ventura County Firefighters
Ben Davis, President
Ventura City Firefighters
John Albin, President
Oxnard Firefighters
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