Hi All,
Thank you to Les for the Jarvis Taxpayers Union post; which prompted me to see if you all wanted to provide some input on the current movement to modify Proposition 13. I am working on an article to update the LPSF website, and thought Prop 13 might be a good, topical subject. Also I am thinking of a new feature for the LPSF website that might include honest differing libertarian viewpoints (something like the New York Times feature "Room for Debate") on a subject. BTW, the last new feature "Nanny of the Month" received relatively more hits than other articles.
Now, when I say "input" I do not have in mind inflammatory rhetoric or one-word anti-statist homilies. I am thinking more of something the general public, who are now being bombarded with the Prop 13 reform campaign can understand and relate to. Or, even some input on how the "Close the Loophole" campaign might have a valid point.
Also, note that property taxes are the main funding venue for public schools. LPSF has tried to focus not on simply stating that government-run institutions are by nature lousy, but on offering libertarian solutions to what the general public perceives as a social good (such as an educated population being a good thing for everyone).
Here are a couple of articles on the subject. The articles specifically refer to current efforts to close the so-called commercial property loophole of Prop 13. If the links do not work for you, just Google "Close the loophole Proposition 13," or something like that.
Sorry for double posting this both on the Discussion List and the Activist List. LPSF tradition has it that double-posting is to be discouraged, but there are a few topics that might prompt action from the subscribers of both lists.
http://closetheloophole.com/about_us
Marcy