May 10, 2008

Letters

Taxation

Dear Editor: The article on San Carlos' tax situation ["Unlucky Prop. 13," Tuesday] was interesting, but I'd like to share some additional information with your readers.

Everyone knows how Proposition 13 dramatically reduced property taxes. Few know how public agencies share the property taxes that are collected. In essence, the relative shares of property taxes collected in each county before Proposition 13 were used to determine how post Proposition 13 taxes are allocated among our public agencies - forever.

Everyone I've ever met sees property taxes as local taxes, aimed at funding local needs. Yet, under the law, there is no way for communities to shift those allocations among the public agencies that serve them. To forbid communities from changing where they spend their money is to deny that local needs and priorities shift over time. This is patently absurd.

Nevertheless it is the law. Why it continues to be the law is a more interesting question. Perhaps we should ask who benefits from a system that prevents the people paying local taxes from having a say in how those taxes are used. I suspect the answer is our public agencies: by freezing the allocations, we've insulated them from having to justify themselves directly to the public they serve.

That's probably a source of comfort to those who run the agencies. I suppose it's just too bad that it disenfranchises us as members of our local communities.

Mark Olbert,

San Carlos



City management

Dear Editor: Frank Benest is manager of the fair city of Palo Alto, charged to run things smoothly for you and me.

But the Children's Theatre? The mess in the utilities department? The discomforting resignation of Assistant City Manager Emily Harrison? All are directly subject to his oversight.

Did I miss something? This management's a fright.

Richard K. Freeman,

Palo Alto



Education budget cuts

Dear Editor: Belmont teachers, support staff, families and community members will participate in the Day of the Teacher Rally on Wednesday to protest the governor's budget cuts to education and to let Sacramento know how detrimental these cuts are to our students. Teachers up and down the Peninsula will be stationed at all major intersections along El Camino Real. In Belmont, you can join us at the intersection of Ralston Avenue and El Camino Real from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Signs will be provided, but feel free to bring your own message for the governor and the Legislature.

George Metropulos, president,

Belmont-Redwood Shores

Faculty Association