What reasons did people give for supporting Proposition 13 in the documentary we watched? What do you make of this?
In the documentary, the reasons the people interviewed gave for their support of Proposition 13 revolved around increasing property taxes at the time due to inflation. They stated that they were afraid of losing their homes or a loss of income, and that they felt the money they paid was going into politician’s pockets rather than benefiting them through public services. They considered government to be too powerful and wanted to limit it through tax reductions.
All of these people’s arguments show a shortsightedness and unawareness of use of tax money, distinct personal greed, as well as a lack of thorough understanding of the bill they were supporting. While they were understandably concerned about personal finances, especially if they were threatened by homelessness, such an extreme tax reduction could only harm the social programs and services provided by the government, the same services that would protect them if they were to become homeless. The bill did dramatically reduce property taxes, but it most dramatically reduced them for large corporations while harming small businesses, which runs counter to the claimed goals of the bill and shows a lack of understanding by voters. What struck me most, however, was the selfishness of voters, as they did not care about schools, emergency services, infrastructure, or other government expenditures, but only about their personal financial gain. Often people with similarly lacking senses of responsibility will at least care about their own children’s education, but these people were willing to support dramatic cuts to their own school districts, showing that they only cared about themselves as individuals.
