Villaraigosa takes another swipe at Prop 13

The mayor says commercial property owners are benefiting at the expense of homeowners. "Proposition 13 has fallen victim to the law of unintended consequences," he said during a Capitol hearing. From the LAT:

At issue is a provision in the constitutional amendment that prevents sharp increases in property taxes except when there's a change in ownership. This was intended to provide homeowners with financial security, but businesses have used legal maneuvering to avoid costly reassessments. As a result, homeowners have paid an increasing share of property taxes, according to a recent report from the California Tax Reform Assn., a Sacramento-based advocacy group. "A system which allows the richest corporations in the world to pay virtually nothing in tax on acres and acres of prime commercial land must be re-examined and reformed," the report said.