Well, CTA didn't take on Prop 13, but this isn't a bad start:
On Sunday, delegates for the 325,000 member union voted to back initiatives to rescind corporate tax breaks (see initiatives #1412 and #1375), passed a year ago under cover of darkness, that eventually will cut state revenues by an estimated $1.7 billion. Backing up its vote with dollars, the CTA has committed $587,000 to gather 434,000 signatures needed to put it on the ballot. (Educated Guess)
In a time of economic chaos, why would we start with tax breaks for corporations? Good on CTA for pushing on this issue. It should be a crowd-pleaser for the left, and it seems like it should stand a good shot of passing in November. For now anyway, CTA has taken the safe route.
At the same time, they had prepared initiatives to increase the property tax rate on commercial real estate and to allow real estate values of commercial real estate to float. In other words, they were trying to split the tax roles. That measure would be much more expensive to pass, and the Cal Chamber and their cronies would fight that like a dog.
This measure, on the other hand, is a populist measure. It's hard to imagine the advertising campaign that you'd be able to say would surely defeat this one. Possible to defeat, of course. But if we're betting straight up, I'd put my money on Yes.
Keep a look out for the petitions, CTA should have no problem gathering the 700,000 or so signatures they'll need to be safe for this one getting on the ballot. |
