Page 2 July 2, 2015 By Brandon Smith Approved by California voters in 1978, Proposition 13 is one of California’s preeminent laws, stabilizing tax rates for property owners in the state for over 30 years. Passed during a period of time when the demand for housing was high and property values steadily increased year over year, Prop 13 eased exorbitant tax levels by capping property tax rates at 1% of their assessed value and preventing a property’s assessed value from growing more than 2% a year. Because many longtime homeowners could not keep pace with the increasingly high tax rates of the time, Prop 13 overwhelmingly passed with 64.8% of the vote. P r o p 1 3 p r o t e c t i o n s p e r t a i n indiscriminately to both residential and commercial properties; however, since the passage of Prop 13, controversy has arisen over commercial property owners benefiting from the rate protections. A not insignificant portion of California’s population advocates for a change to Prop 13’s protections for commercial property owners by establishing a “split roll” tax that discriminately limits or removes Prop 13 protections for commercial property owners. Proponents of split roll believe commercial property owners should be paying more taxes and that capping tax rates for commercial properties induces added burden on homeowners while negatively impacting local communities that receive tax revenue. Additionally, proponents argue that large corporations are taking advantage of a tax loophole inherent to the law’s provision that a reassessment of property value must only occur at the time a “change of ownership” takes place. The argument claims large corporations are finding ways to evade tax increases by changing ownership in “discrete” ways that won’t trigger a reassessment. Several Legislative attempts to reform Prop 13 have occurred over the past few years, all failing to pass into law. Most attempted to either establish a split roll tax, redefine “change of ownership,” or reduce established voter thresholds for tax increases. The latest attempt to reform Prop 13 comes from the California State Senate where State Senator Loni Hancock (D- Oakland) recently introduced a Constitutional Amendment (SCA 5) to require the assessment of commercial property values to be based upon current rather than acquired value. Senator Hancock provided the following statement on her website pertaining to SCA 5, “this Based on a press release from UC Santa Barbara, provided by Bob Eklund A laser-powered wafer-thin spacecraft capable of reaching Alpha Centauri in 20 years may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but it’s not. And while such a launch isn’t imminent, the possibility of one in the future does exist, according to UC Santa Barbara physics professor Philip Lubin. To further explore that possibility, Lubin and his team in UCSB’s Experimental Cosmology Group will study photo-driven propulsion—the use of lasers as a means to power a spacecraft. The group has been awarded one of 15 proof-of-concept grants from NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts. The NASA program aims to turn what sounds like science fiction into science fact through the development of pioneering technologies. “One of humanity’s grand challenges is to explore other solar systems by sending probes—and eventually life,” said Lubin. “We propose a system that will allow us to take the first step toward interstellar exploration using directedenergy propulsion combined with miniature probes. Along with recent work on waferscale photonics, we can now envision combining these technologies to enable a realistic approach to sending probes far outside our solar system.” The UCSB group’s ultimate goal is to send small probes to supplement the current long-range remote sensing done by orbital and ground-based telescopes. The funding will enable Lubin’s team to create a more The Jewelry Source 337 Main St. El Segundo. 310-322-7110 www.jewelrysourceUSA.com ©2007 Looking Up Roadmap to the Stars Philip Lubin stands next to the laser his lab uses to conduct experiments. Photo by Sonia Fernandez. complete roadmap for building a fully functional wafer-scale spacecraft complete with power, laser communications, and controllable photon thrusters. The project, Directed Energy Propulsion for Interstellar exploratioN (DEEP-IN), will also chart laser-driver elements that require technology development. The key to a functioning system lies in the ability to build both the photon driver and the ultra-low-mass probes. While capable of propelling any spacecraft mass, lower-mass probes go the fastest and are most suitable for interstellar missions. The DEEP-IN design keeps the main propulsion driver back in Earth’s orbit (or nearby) yet still capable of propelling highly integrated spacecraft to speeds vastly higher than anything scientists can currently achieve. The laser photon driver would use photon pressure in the form of streamed energy to power the spacecraft as it travels away from Earth. With no intrinsic speed limit, this technology allows for the relativistic speeds necessary for interstellar flight. “While not suitable for every spacecraft design, this approach opens up radically new possibilities,” Lubin said. “The project is a step toward the first interstellar mission, but more importantly we are studying and designing the relevant technological base. This will give us the ability to build a single photon driver capable of sending out literally millions of low-mass probes. “We’ve had to radically rethink our strategy in order not to give up our dreams of reaching the stars,” Lubin added. “DEEP-IN posits a technological path forward that, while not simple, is within our technological reach to begin.” • Proposition 13 in the Crosshairs legislation will address flaws in Prop. 13 that have allowed a minority group of wealthy corporations and commercial property owners to dramatically lower their tax bills and shift that responsibility onto homeowners and renters.” Hancock is backed by a number of Prop 13 activists hoping to gain increased funding for social programs and education by accelerating reassessments on commercial property, thus increasing tax revenue for the state. Opponents to Senator Hancock’s proposal counter-argue that the majority of commercial property owners are not supposed “tax evading” corporations but rather, are hard working small business owners. Opponents believe a significant increase in commercial property tax rates will likely cause many small businesses to cut jobs, benefits, or raise prices to keep pace with the added costs. For small businesses that do not own property, the increased rate is likely to be passed from owner to renter through higher rent costs. Donna Duperron, President and CEO of the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce, says that of the Chamber’s nearly 800 members, well over 500 are small business owners. In regards to split roll she comments, “The majority of the population are not small business owners and are not privy to the amount of work and sacrifice it takes to operate a business in California. Unfortunately, split roll efforts are another example where a majority group seeks to impose a targeted, discriminatory tax on a minority tax base.” SCA 5 faces tough odds, as it would require a 2/3 vote of the Legislature to pass. With several anti-Prop 13 bills failing to pass in 2014 while state Democrats enjoyed a supermajority, it seems unlikely SCA 5 will pass in 2015 since Democrats would need to sway a few Republican votes. Regardless, if SCA 5 were to pass, voters still have the final say. California’s constitution stipulates that any Legislative attempts to amend the state’s constitution must be approved by a 2/3 vote of the public. But SCA 5’s fate may be inconsequential. A record low number of voters turned out for the gubernatorial election in 2014, which means the signatures required to place a citizen initiative on the 2016 ballot is also at a record low. Several groups have undertaken campaigns to place measures on the 2016 ballot, to include Prop 13 activists. A battle at the ballot box over one of the state’s most coveted (and controversial) laws may be inevitable. • Classifieds The deadline for Classified Ad submission and payment is Noon on Tuesday to appear in Thursday’s paper. Advertisements must be submitted in writing by mail, fax or email. You may pay by cash, check, or credit card (Visa or M/C over the phone). Errors: Please check your advertisements immediately. Any corrections and/or changes in an ad must be requested prior to the following Tuesday deadline in order to receive a credit. A credit will be issued for only the first time the error appears. Multiple runs will only be credited for the first time the error appears. No credit will be issued for an amount greater than the cost of the advertisement. Beware: Employment offers that suggest guaranteed out-of-state or overseas positions may be deceptive or unethical in nature. If you have any doubts about the nature of a company, contact the local office of the Better Business Bureau, (213) 251-9696. Herald Publications does not guarantee that the advertiser’s claims are true nor does it take responsibility for those claims. Like Us on Facebook Apartment For Rent Lovely 1BD apartment next to Library Park $1500/month. Upstairs, garage parking, laundry, no smoking, no pets, excellent credit. (310) 322-8099. Collectible WWII PROPELLER OFF OF A JAPANESE NAVAL WAR BOMBER A.K.A. THE BETTY dated June 2 1945. Signed (engraved) by 115 Officers of the 503rd AAF base unit known as THE BRASS HAT UNIT. Extremely rare piece of history. Asking price $12,500.00 ph 727 785 3136 email john298404290@ gmail.com Condo for Rent 2BD/2BA. Third floor unit, no common walls, fireplace, balcony, refrigerator, pool and jacuzzi, washer and dryer. 2 car parking. $2600/mo. (310) 988-9335. 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