are there enough of us that are not beneficiaries of Prop 13 to repeal Prop 13?
what does that mean?
and propositions are citizen initiated amendments that citizens vote on
It was a common metaphor to describe Social Security reform years ago as people realized the system was headed for "bankruptcy". At least that's what they called it. In reality it was just that outgoings would exceed receipts by the 2030s, which means funding it from general revenue or reducing benefits.
But anyone who suggested "reforming" Social Security, such as private retirement accounts replacing it, tended to die a horrible political death and thus the third rail.
The other third rail I can think of is eliminating free street parking in NYC.
so it doesn't need a politician to run on that sacred platform
The same people who would shout down a politician for trying to reform Prop 13 would vote against any effort to reform it via initiative. Besides, as a result of Prop 13, tax "increases" require a ⅔ majority to pass. Try getting ⅔ of California to agree on anything.
Modifications to Prop 13 get to the ballot box periodically and the only ones that seem to pass expand its scope. Attempts to pare it back are met with fierce resistance from the anti-government folks. In general initiatives are a scourge and not a remedy to anything.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_California_Proposition_13
No, Prop 13 was an Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
>not a constitutional amendment.
You're flat wrong.
Propositions are anything going on the ballot for voter confirmation. They encompass Legislative statutes, Legislative Consitutional Amendments, Initiative Statutes, and Initiative Constitutional Amendments.
But those statutes and Constitutional elements can be changed and put back on the ballot for confirmation by the legislative process alone. Then all it takes is a simple majority on the next statewide ballot.
Prop 13 can be changed by the legislature but won't because change is wildly unpopular (OMG they're gunna raize our taxez) and there's zero chance you'll get the 2/3 majority required to pass it through the legislature.
Prop 13 can be modified by an initiative, but the only related initiatives that pass expand Prop 13's scope. And without legislative action the 2/3 majority stands for any sort of tax increase.
Legislating by sound bite is pretty much how things have been done in California for decades. No matter how much sense reigning in Prop 13 might make, there's always going to be some Jarvisite that is going to scream about kicking granny out of her home because of high property taxes.
Propositions pass with a simply majority of voters; a 2/3 vote isn't necessary.