I feel sorry for Texans.. Wait! That includes myself!

[DarkSideR]

I recently became employed in San Antonio. Looking to buy a 2nd house/rental there while maintaining my residence in Colorado.

I recently came across this PragerU video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Svc7GLUqd4) and was greatly saddened by what I learned. Doesn't matter how many "Don't Californicate Texas" bumper stickers you have, there's no stopping it.

I think the video stated that Montana isn't even safe.

[Valkorado]

Love Texas!   Good luck,  Josh!

[Serk]

If Texas turns blue, then Boogaloo it is...... 

[old2soon]

        So this alludes to the fact socialism Still do NOT work? Had like zero idea cal was spending THAT much on social programs. Leaving in droves-O K but leave the socialism in cal. RIDE SAFE.

[Savago]

I watched the video, it is well made and a good ad for Texas.

There is this joke that to live in California, you got be either a millionaire or homeless...
 

I have myself been considering the idea of moving from California (taxes, cost of living and gun laws are horrible). Last January I had 43% of taxes/discounts on my salary, it makes you wonder if you are working for yourself or for the government.
 

Going back to the video: its basic premise (i.e. liberal policies are bad, conservative policies are good) doesn't explain the sorry state of things in California.

You got dig a bit deeper and go back to the 70's and 80's. The root of majority of current problems (i.e. homeless people, high cost of living) is in great part due to proposition 13.

To learn more about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_California_Proposition_13

It works great on paper: it fixes the cost of real state taxes to 1% of the price paid in the property. The idea was to help elderly people who live on Social Security.

It was later amended to pass this 'tax grant' to the following generations, so you keep the 'family house' within the same family.

Sounds good right? Main issues are:
a) It is never updated to the current market value of the property.
b) It creates an incentive for people to never downsize their homes (why sell and buy something smaller if you end up paying more in real state taxes in the smaller house that was paid market price?).
c) People who don't even live in California anymore but inherited property got the tax break (and their kids will also have it and so on...).

As a result, you create 2 categories of people:
- the ones who got pay taxes (i.e. anyone who bought a home in the last 10-15 years paid 3x-10x more than way back in the 70's-80's, inflation factored in) a.k.a. peasants
- the people who get the eternal tax break (and so their future generations) a.k.a. noblemen

Sounds pretty medieval, right?

That coupled with local councils that never approve new development results in no new homes ever being built in California.

This drives rental prices up, thus the cost of living.

The primary reason why business are closing is that they got pay a lot to their employees, otherwise the employees can't pay rent. The overegulation (labor/zoning/etc) certainly doesn't help.

The primary reason why there are so many homeless people is that majority of workers are just one paycheck away from loosing everything and end up living in the streets.

Heck! There are people who have jobs but can't afford rent and sleep in their cars.
 

Proposition 13 was approved while California had a Democratic governor and expanded under a Republican governor.

It is not partisan, but it is political: no professional politician/elected official will dare to touch it, as they risk to loose votes of 'noblemen' who benefit of the tax break.

There are a few proposals to make it more streamlined the approvals for real state development, but there are many powerful forces fighting against it (i.e. councils, representatives, real state companies, etc).

In conclusion: bad policies (either liberal or conservative) can have a bad impact on the lives of people. The root of the current problems of California derives of well intended policies and lack of courage to fix the mess.

[Robert]

You got dig a bit deeper and go back to the 70's and 80's. The root of majority of current problems (i.e. homeless people, high cost of living) is in great part due to proposition 13.

I read your article and know California but you are contributing all the problems in California to prop 13?
That is not even realistic thinking, it does not take into account the other costs of living in Cali.

  I also know many other states have this kind of tax incentive yet they dont have the same problems, socially, filth wise and turning some of the most beautiful places on earth into a place that you cannot bring children to. 

 It is the exact problem that many have been screaming at Californians for years that you cannot just tax the people to overcome social, environmental, government, ills in an effort to make a utopia.

 Make California good for the common man to live in again and stop catering to all ends of the social, financial and emotional spectrum and there would not be a problem.

I feel this is a major disconnect from reality if you blame this one thing for California's problems.

[DarkSideR]

You got dig a bit deeper and go back to the 70's and 80's. The root of majority of current problems (i.e. homeless people, high cost of living) is in great part due to proposition 13.

I read your article and know California but you are contributing all the problems in California to prop 13?
That is not even realistic thinking, it does not take into account the other costs of living in Cali.

  I also know many other states have this kind of tax incentive yet they dont have the same problems, socially, filth wise and turning some of the most beautiful places on earth into a place that you cannot bring children to. 

 It is the exact problem that many have been screaming at Californians for years that you cannot just tax the people to overcome social, environmental, government, ills in an effort to make a utopia.

 Make California good for the common man to live in again and stop catering to all ends of the social, financial and emotional spectrum and there would not be a problem.

I feel this is a major disconnect from reality if you blame this one thing for California's problems.

Easy there Fella.

It wasn't "his article" it was simply a Wikipedia page that he used as a reference.

Though what was written has relevance (and I agree a lot with what was said), remember it is simply Savago's opinion. Being that Savago currently lives in CA. I welcome his opinion on the matter, just as you should.

I agree with you as well. Many other factors contribute to the current sad state of CA.

I wold like to add that a CA. exodus to Colorado has been ongoing which has contributed to my once great state of Colorado turning into a left wing bat-house. It's so bad here I've had the State Patrol called on me twice while riding my bike and open carrying. Other ignorant motorist simply see the gun on my waist and call 911. Insanity. Colorado has a Gay Governor  . In the last primary election Colorado's popular demoncratic vote went to Sanders 

Can you image all that happening in Texas (not counting Austin, that's already gone)?

[Savago]

  I also know many other states have this kind of tax incentive yet they dont have the same problems...

I really doubt that any other State in the union has something so egregious as the way Proposition 13 was penned.

It is so bad that it even made to the Supreme court (Nordlinger v. Hahn, 1992:  https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/505/1/case.pdf).

Quote:
"Certainly, California’s grand experiment appears to
vest benefits in a broad, powerful, and entrenched segment
of society, and, as the Court of Appeal surmised, ordinary
democratic processes may be unlikely to prompt its reconsideration or repeal."

Quote:
"Petitioner and amici argue with some appeal that Article
XIIIA frustrates the “American dream” of home ownership
for many younger and poorer California families. They
argue that Article XIIIA places startup businesses that depend on ownership of property at a severe disadvantage in
competing with established businesses. They argue that
Article XIIIA dampens demand for and construction of new
housing and buildings. And they argue that Article XIIIA
constricts local tax revenues at the expense of public education and vital services."

But in the end the justices voted that even though it is a clusterfuck and unfair law, it was up to each State to decide how to tax.

That was written 28 years ago (1992). There is plenty of articles and research showing how Proposition 13 is responsible for creating the housing crisis in California (and how that is connected to all other problems).

[Savago]

Oh yeah, and my favorite quote from the same case:
"The commission was too generous. To my mind, the rationale
for such disparity is not merely “negligible,” it is nonexistent. Such a law establishes a privilege of a medieval character: Two families with equal needs and equal resources are
treated differently solely because of their different heritage.
In my opinion, such disparate treatment of similarly situated taxpayers is arbitrary and unreasonable.
"
By Justice Stevens (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Paul_Stevens), a registered Republican.