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By Jon Coupal
Voter interest in the 12 measures appearing on the November ballot is growing as election day gets closer. This is particularly true with Proposition 15, driven, no doubt, by the media attention and the amount of spending by both sides on political advertising.
No one disputes that Proposition 15 would be the largest property tax increase in California’s history. It would alter one of Proposition 13’s primary protections, the 2 percent limit on annual increases in the taxable value of property.
But a common question voters are raising is who is responsible for putting Prop. 15 on the ballot and who is funding the campaign? It would be too easy to say that Prop. 15 is backed by the “usual suspects” who simply want higher taxes, although that is certainly true. More details are illuminating.
First, it is no secret that public-sector unions were behind the drafting of Proposition 15 (and an earlier version that they withdrew) and are now the primary source of campaign funds for the yes side. As their legally required campaign disclosures reveal, the California Teachers Association and their local affiliates are the largest contributors. Also listed in the top three is SEIU, another powerful labor organization.
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