"In light of the material that has been produced regarding the effects of Proposition 13, should it be reformed? What are some of the major political issues that need to be considered when dealing with this "third rail" of American politics?"
Most Americans don't put too much trust in the government's hands. Lack of trust in government is as old as the nation itself and has its clearly expressed by Bill of Rights added to the U. S. Constitution. Thanks to the Progressives at the beginning of 20th century the initiative has become the voters' protection from the potential overuse of power by the state government, back then, successfully manipulated and controlled by the Southern Pacific Railroad Co. Soon initiative had become an essential part of policy making, on the top of the assurance of the democratic stability.
After three decades of the post - World War II economical and social optimism in California with its huge investments in public infrastructure and developing high quality education systems, the hard times of economical decline, inflation, and high-energy prices had begun with the sunset of the "golden 60s'".
All of those agents have launched a spectacular inflation in real estate values, especially home prices. "The county supervisors would approve budget, and the county assessor would calculate what tax rate was needed to raise that money (1. page 7)". For years the property tax was lowered by corrupted, old-fashioned assessment system, and finally in early 1970s was replaced with a new, computer based system that soon had reevaluated the true property value with "no merci" for those who were trying to avoid higher taxation for years. By the late 1970s California's property tax burden was out of control. For many people, especially seniors, single parents and people living on a fixed income this...