Episode 15: Turnabout is constant play—or, the Transfer Tax War
How does a mansion tax put apartment development in peril? Why would a state legislator tell you to vote against her own ballot measure? Why do we have such complex rules about local taxes anyway? This is the story of how the Upland decision transformed Prop 13, how LA's Measure ULA sparked a backlash, and how others tried to meet that backlash, with the consequence of another goldanged ballot measure we have to vote on in November.Links to items referenced in the episode: The Unintended Consequences of Measure ULA, Michael Manville and Mott Smith, UCLA, Apr 2025: https://lewis.ucla.edu/research/the-unintended-consequences-of-measure-ula/ The Local Taxpayer Protection Act: https://ballotpedia.org/California_Two-Thirds_Vote_Requirement_for_Special_Taxes_and_Charter_City_Real_Estate_Transfer_Tax_Prohibition_Initiative_%282026%29 AB 736: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB736 The last-minute deal: https://calmatters.org/housing/2026/06/tax-cut-measure-pulled/ Buffy Wicks's explanatory thread: https://bsky.app/profile/buffywicks.bsky.social/post/3mpi3t4tlm32h Prop 43: https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_43,_Two-Thirds_Vote_Requirement_for_Local_Special_Tax_Initiatives_and_Property_Tax_Initiative_Prohibition_Amendment_(2026)