The question has arisen in your Real Estate section: Should Proposition 13 be refurbished? The answer is an emphatic Yes.
Let's go back a bit: Homeowners and landowners had, for generations, borne the burden of the public's welfare--the schools, police and fire protection, streets and street lighting and, believe it or not, in Orange County, the cemeteries! All of this, giving a free ride to those who had not been thrifty enough, or imbued enough with hope of home ownership.
Proposition 13, a magnificent landmark in California history, set forth similar explosions across the country. It was not perfect. Few laws are when first adopted.
Almost immediately, the rats started gnawing on this good piece of cheese! Disregarding entirely the intent and purposes of this new law passed by vote of the people, the politicians, attorneys and courts brought out a lot of technicalities to contend that the law did not mean what it said and should be disregarded.