Jarvis Day in San Jose

Today marks the birthday of the late Howard Jarvis, the fire breathing father of Proposition 13 for which generations of Californians still owe gratitude in the decades since its passage in 1978. The birthday milestone of Mr. Jarvis serves as a timely reminder of a historical truism: The wisdom of San Jose voters continues to be vastly superior to that of the city officials they elect to represent them.

In the winter and spring of 1978, then-Mayor Janet Gray Hayes joined the San Jose Mercury, the Chamber of Commerce, and a chorus of shrieking politicians across the city and county warning of fatal consequences if Prop 13 were to pass. Police and fire departments would be cut to the bone. Schools and hospitals would close. Local governments would collapse.

And then on June 6th of that year, the voters got their turn to speak. And speak they did. In Santa Clara County, Prop 13 passed by a nearly two to one margin.

Looking back 45 years later, the verdict is clear. The politicians were wrong and the voters got it right. Local governments didn’t collapse. In fact in San Jose, despite Prop 13, city government keeps getting bigger and more bloated. In just the past ten years, the City Manager’s staff alone has grown 38%.

The taxpayer revolt of 1978 provides a highly relevant lesson for San Jose voters today. Following the misguided footsteps of a mayor from the distant past, current San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and the city council are methodically working to reverse the hard fought victory California voters achieved and have consistently defended.

In February of this year, the council passed a resolution to join major unions throughout the state in opposing the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act (TPA). The TPA is citizens initiative that has qualified for the statewide November ballot. It restores and bolsters Prop 13 protections. During the public comments section of the agenda before the council voted, labor advocate and Working Partnerships policy director Jeffery Buchanan heaped lavish praise on the mayor and council members for their vocal opposition to the TPA.

In August of this year, the council unanimously approved the use of city staff and funding for professional lobbyists to secure passage of ACA 1. The legislature dutifully obliged and passed the bill last week. The legislation places a measure on the statewide ballot that would lower the Prop 13 threshold for tax increases and new taxes from a super majority to 55%. A companion bill, ACA 13, was also passed by the legislature last week. ACA 13 places a measure on the March statewide ballot designed specifically to thwart voter approval of the TPA in November.

Today San Joseans should raise a glass to Mr. Jarvis and the millions of Californians who joined his revolution of common sense. They should also salute the California voters who reaffirmed Prop 13 in 1996 by overwhelmingly approving Proposition 218.

Next year more battles over Prop 13 will be fought at the polls. Keep fighting the good fight. Vote No on ACA 1 and ACA 13 and vote Yes on the TPA in November.