{"id":362738,"date":"2026-06-16T13:21:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T13:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/362738\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T13:21:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T13:21:08","slug":"%e2%98%86-what-san-jose-cm-david-cohen-gets-wrong-in-his-bid-to-keep-squeezing-taxes-out-of-san-joseans-opportunity-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/362738\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2606 What San Jose CM David Cohen gets wrong in his bid to keep squeezing taxes out of San Joseans \u2014 OPPORTUNITY NOW"},"content":{"rendered":"

San Jose is\u00a0Prop 13 Country<\/a>, but the city council remains oblivious to this fact. CM Cohen leads the council in opposing the restoration of taxpayer protections contained in this November\u2019s Save Prop 13 act \u2013 and tells some whoppers while he\u2019s at it. Susan Shelley at HJTA corrects Cohen\u2019s misrepresentation of the important initiative in this week’s Tax-free Tuesday. An Opp Now Exclusive.<\/p>\n

Taxpayer advocate Susan Shelley reminds us that state constitution has clear limits on how the government can take money from property owners:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe constitution represents the consent of the governed, and in California, the state constitution\u00a0bans<\/a>\u00a0\u2018a transaction tax or sales tax on the sale of real property,\u2019\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, Cohen is hitting the fear-monger button:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn addition to making it almost impossible for cities to raise local revenue, [Save Prop 13] would invalidate previously passed measures. And it would immediately, or within a year, invalidate our measure E, which would be a huge hit to our budget,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

But no.\u00a0Cohen\u2019s not right. It\u2019s not immediate. Nor is it within a year. In fact, San Jose would have two years to come up with a plan to replace the revenue.<\/p>\n

Shelley says:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe\u00a0Local Taxpayer Protection Act to Save Proposition 13\u00a0repeals, in two years, all citizens\u2019 initiative property-related special taxes, such as parcel taxes, that passed with less than a two-thirds vote. It repeals all real estate transfer taxes higher than 0.11%, also in two years, and bans them going forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cCities that have been relying on these unconstitutional taxes will have two years after the passage of the\u00a0Local Taxpayer Protection Act to Save Proposition 13to find a constitutional way to replace that revenue. For example, local governments can place general taxes on the ballot and a simple majority of voters would be enough to pass them,\u201d says Shelley.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, Cohen still wants to resist the will of San Jose voters. Rather than work to generate revenue within the bounds of the constitution, he\u2019ll continue to fight to make it easier to raise taxes.\u00a0Tune in live<\/a>\u00a0at 1:30PM today to see the tax tsunami apologists in action.<\/p>\n

Opportunity Now\u2019s Will Sherman is the editor of Tax-Free Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Sign up for the\u00a0Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association newsletter here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Follow Opportunity Now on Twitter @svopportunity<\/a><\/p>\n