Prop. 13 shouldn’t cover commercial property. Here’s why

By Tom Miller, Oakland | 2/28/2022

Regarding “Prop. 13 taxes all races” (Letters to the Editor, Feb. 23): Yes, Proposition 13 (which defunded California schools) does help the seniors from being taxed out of their homes, but there is no justification for its inclusion of commercial properties.

By including commercial realty, Proposition 13 interferes with competition by giving some owners an unfair advantage and acts as a hindrance to the market in the transfer of property.

Proposition 13 was sold to the public as a way to help old people stay in their homes, but the primary beneficiaries are rich commercial property owners who escape paying their fair share of taxes — and since, unlike old people, corporations never die, the escape is permanent.