Category Archives: California

Proposition 88 would increase education funding by taxing every real estate parcel $50. If you live on a 4,000 square foot parcel, you would pay an extra $50. If you live on a two-acre parcel, you would pay an extra … Continue reading →

Proposition 87 is the next on the agenda. The proposition is titled, “Alternative Energy, Research, Production, Tax on California Oil Producers.” The initiative would increase the tax on oil pumped from California (or, under the state) by at least 25%. … Continue reading →

Proposition 86 would impose a new cigarette tax of $0.13/cigarette sold in California. The funds raised would be used for everything from hospital trauma centers to funding for cancer research. The argument for Proposition 86 is that smoking kills, and … Continue reading →

Next up on the list of California ballot measures that impact taxes is Proposition 84. (We’re not going to comment about Proposition 83, which deals with sex offenders, and Proposition 85, which deals with parental notification for a child’s abortion, … Continue reading →

The last of the five of the Governator’s infrastructure initiatives deals with disaster preparedness and levee repairs. This measure would allow the issuance of $4.09 billion in bonds, with payback costing about $266 million per year for 30 years. Most … Continue reading →

The fourth of five of the Governator’s infrastructure initiatives is a school funding bond act. If approved, $10.416 billion of bonds would be issued, costing around $680 million a year for 30 years to payoff. Yikes! Again, the goal of … Continue reading →

Proposition 1C is the third of five of the Governator’s infrastructure bills on the November ballot. Titled “Housing and Emergency Trust Fund Act of 2006”, it’s yet another monstrous bond act. This measure would allow the issuance of $2.6 billion … Continue reading →

I was reading Simon Winchester’s Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded and came across the use of the word “humongous.” In vulcanism, a humongous volcanic event is truly huge. Why am I including this here? Well, Proposition 1B is a … Continue reading →

Californians will have a long ballot to wade through this November. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to review all of the tax-related propositions on the ballot, beginning with Proposition 1A. This is one of five propositions that Governor … Continue reading →

If you’re a Native American and reside in California on a reservation, you’re exempt from California personal income tax. However, you’re not exempt from federal income tax. And that’s where this story begins. The Chumash tribe runs a very successful … Continue reading →