[GPCA Updates] NEWS ADVISORY: Greens charge Governor ducks questions...

[updates-admin at cagreens.org]

                       News Advisory
              THE GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA
                     www.cagreens.org

	
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 25, 2005

 
Governor ducks property tax question, 
happy to shift tax burden to working people
to benefit corporate land holders, say Greens

SACRAMENTO  (October 25, 2005) – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's refusal to
directly answer a question about the tax burden of working people – to the
benefit of corporations – at Monday's "performance" before a live Bay Area
and television audience shows he's not a true "reformer," said the Green
Party of California Tuesday.

Schwarzenegger refused to answer the audience member's question concerning
the enormous property tax loophole provided corporations because of the
implementation of Prop. 13, a statewide ballot initiative passed in 1978.
The audience member specifically asked about corporate property, even
mentioning the company Southern Pacific by name.

But Schwarzenegger, behaving just like the career politicians he constantly
derides, chose to play deaf and only address the benefits of Prop 13 to
longtime homeowners, said Erika  McDonald, San Francisco Green Party
spokesperson.

Many California residents, including those in the Green Party, understand
the need for  Prop. 13 to protect residential property owners who may be on
fixed incomes and unable to pay full market value property taxes on their
homes.  Sheltering corporations from these property taxes, however, is
unnecessary and has increased the tax burden on homeowners who have paid
high prices for homes in more recent years, said McDonald.

Before Prop. 13, two-thirds of all property tax was paid by businesses,
including corporations, landlords and speculators.  One-third of taxes were
paid by homeowners. Since then, the percentages have reversed. Homeowners
in many counties pay two-thirds of the property tax as compared to
one-third for corporations, some of which have been posting record profits.

"It is clear why Schwarzenegger does not want to address the free-ride that
his corporate donors are getting.  If Arnold was truly a 'reformer', as he
claims, he would be more honest about who really pays the bills in this
state," said McDonald.

"In failing to answer the citizen's question about Proposition 13,
Schwarzenegger once again demonstrated his utter disdain for ordinary
working people," added McDonald, who said that if business properties were
assessed more often then the state would have the tax revenue to truly
support schools, cities and counties without bonds and regressive sales
taxes.