Bob Futz: The night of June 6th all eyes were on California and 75-year-old Howard Jarvis, celebrating victory in a fight for lower taxes he waged for 15 years. Jarvis was the man behind Proposition 13, the initiative overwhelmingly approved by California voters reducing and permanently limiting property taxes to 1% of value. Tax bills for California homeowners dropped by more than half, and Jarvis proclaimed the start of a taxpayer revolution...
Harvard Jarvis: "We have proven here in California that we the people, not the politicians, are still the boss!"
"(Applause.)"
Bob Futz: That message went far from California, where the State's large budget surplus was used to soften the blow on local government. It was heard in Michigan and other states where tax-cut measures were adopted by voters, and it was heard in Washington where Congressmen and Senators jumped on the tax-cut bandwagon; and even California Governor Jerry Brown, Jarvis's biggest opponent, became a tax-cutting ally, using the issue to sweep to reelection as Governor.
Bob Futz reporting.
