Letters to the Editor: The message from Prop. 15's failure? Leave Prop. 13 alone

To the editor: For years, the California Business Roundtable has advocated for comprehensive tax reform that modernizes our tax system. We agree that our tax system is broken. ("California had the chance to start fixing its broken tax system. It balked," editorial, Nov. 12)

Along with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn., we were the main proponent of the measure in 2014 to close the "loophole" that allows businesses to skirt the true intent of Proposition 13, California's 1978 property tax law. We absolutely agree it should be closed.

But the unions and the education community stopped that bill in the Legislature. Why? Because they wanted to use the "loophole" issue to further undo Proposition 13.

Now that voters have rejected Proposition 15 and expressed their support for Proposition 13 protections for homes and businesses, it's time for the governor and the Legislature to join us at the table to begin the difficult discussions on real tax reform.

Robert Lapsley, Sacramento

The writer is president of the California Business Roundtable.

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To the editor: People remember how smoking bans started. First, it was just in the public places where people were being exposed to secondhand smoke. Now, you can't even smoke at the beach.

Politicians start out with just a little bit, and then they ask for more and more, and soon you wake up and wonder how their promises have fallen by the wayside.

Proposition 15 would have been only the start of the destruction of Proposition 13. Congratulations to voters for understanding that.

George Gawlik, Van Nuys

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.