To Our Valued Customers and Friends:

One of the California propositions on the November ballot, Proposition 15, is an attempt to raise property taxes by an estimated 12 billion dollars a year by overturning many of the protections contained in Proposition 13. California residents are already some of the highest taxed citizens in the country. All Californians need to send a clear message to the special interest groups and politicians that enough is enough! We are in the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis and a global pandemic, and don’t need our politicians removing another $12 billion out of the economy. This will be the largest tax increase in California history, at a time when we can’t afford it.

HERE ARE THE 5 KEY REASONS WE MUST VOTE NO ON PROP 15:

1. Every household will see its costs go up every year due to Prop 15, because the government will be allowed to raise commercial property taxes at will.
2. Increasing property taxes on commercial properties, which is code for businesses, over $12,000,000,000 in the first year alone, will disproportionately hurt small family-owned, female and minority owned businesses at a time when they can least afford it. This affects your favorite local restaurant, bar, or hair salon.
3. Most small family businesses rent their office or warehouse space, so if this tax increase is passed, these new taxes will get passed on to them, and then on to you, the consumer.
4. This would increase the cost of everything we buy: food, fuel, utilities, day care, health care, car repair, clothes, and your storage rent.
5. Prop 15 may be the greatest job killer yet, with an estimated 120,000 jobs likely to disappear, at a time we can’t afford to lose even one more job.

Here are the big lies that Prop 15 proponents are telling us:

Lie #1: The funds will go to schools for our children. Truth is that only 25% would go to schools, with 75% going into the general fund to support and fix the financial mistakes of the past, including the huge amount of unfunded pension obligations.

Lie #2: The proponents claim this tax is only on the wealthy property owners. Truth is it will affect every Californian’s pocketbook. The $12 billion will not come from the tooth fairy or the Easter Bunny, it will come, at the end of the day, from all of the citizens of California, in the form of higher prices for goods and services.

Lie #3: The proponents claim the split roll property tax increase is only for commercial and industrial properties, and not for residential property owners. The truth is, if businesses lose their Prop 13 protections, homeowners and renters will likely be next to face a similar initiative, which would mean skyrocketing cost increases for all California homeowners and renters.

Check the facts online at www.stophigherpropertytaxes.org.

We urge you to VOTE NO on Prop 15 on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.