Brian’s Annoyances

One of the 9 measures I voted on this year was Measure W — which adds a $79 fee to the property tax of parcels served by the school district for the next five years.  About a week ago, I received a phone call from a teacher at the local high school asking me to vote yes on the proposition. She wasn’t just reading from a script, and she was able to answer all of my questions. All in all a very effective method to campaign for the cause.

Two nights ago, I got a robocall (which are illegal in CA, not that the public utilities commission cares) from a group asking me to vote for Measure W.  One of their arguments for supporting the proposition was aimed specifically at renters; it went something like “you don’t pay property taxes and since it’s not your money you should vote for this tax.” The Pro W website has the question and answer: “Do renters pay the tax? No, only property owners who pay property taxes will pay for Measure W.”

This is dishonest and pathetic argument. If I were a landlord, I would add the property taxes into the costs side of the formula that figures out rent. So while it would be possible for me to eat the cost for a year or two, the cost would be passed on to the renter the next time the lease was renewed. I would expect my landlord to do the same, yet still I support this measure.