A pledge was recently circulated in Sacramento asking state legislators to promise to support Proposition 13 and the two-thirds protection for raising property taxes. Forty members signed it; eighty did not. Two of those who refused to sign were our own Assemblywoman Julia Brownley and Senator Sheila Kuehl.
Malibu is just now seeing what skyrocketing commercial rents have done to squeeze out local businesses and bring in unwanted corporate chains. The threat of skyrocketing property taxes would have the same effect, turning Malibu into an exclusive community for the rich and famous. Preserving the legacy of Prop. 13 is essential to preserving the richness and diversity of our community. It has long saddened me that our rising cost of living has pushed out so many of the families I knew when I was growing up. I can only imagine how much worse the exodus would be if the tax protections of Prop. 13 were to be in any way diminished.
Make no mistake, there is an environmental factor to be considered here, too. Many of those who are most adamant about the protection of our hills, beaches and resources are longtime homeowners who would be pushed out by even an incremental increase in their property taxes. Those who typically replace them are wealthy part-time residents and second-homers whose commitment to our community and its environment are, at best, minimal, and whose political participation is, at best, negligible.
I urge everyone in Malibu to write Ms. Brownley and Ms. Kuehl to express your concern for their apparent unwillingness to support Prop. 13 and help preserve the fabric of our community.
Wade Majo