Consolidate Our Governments

Passage of Propositions 13 and 218 is surely thus far the fraud of the century foisted on the public by archconservative, reactionary property rights advocates and the real estate industry.

Never mind the resulting grotesque unfair property taxes, the huge benefits to the development interests, to established businesses that never sell, and the shameless elevation of property rights to that of civil liberties. They have the public loving it!

This same public doesn’t comprehend that their local homeowners’ association dues are actually real property taxes but exempt from limitations of Proposition 13 or 218. And, although the local homeowners’ association relieves the local city or county of substantial maintenance costs from what was the obligation of local government, no tax credit is given to the homeowner.

Ignoring special districts, there are about 88 cities in Los Angeles County and about 30 in Orange County. The issue addressed by Propositions 13 and 218 should have been the consolidation of such overlapping governmental entities.

Some good may inure from Proposition 218, albeit by accident. Perhaps Proposition 218 will be the ultimate squeeze that forces consolidation of governments including cities, special districts and counties for economic survival.

Already, democracy and representative government are thwarted by the sheer number of governments. No one can be employed full time and still keep up with all issues in their respective homeowners’ associations, special districts, school districts, cities, counties, state and federal governments.

MELVIN THOMAS

Laguna Niguel