Tax-happy New York learning from Prop. 13, 30 years later

The San Jose Mercury reports:

Even with Proposition 13's limits, spending in California has skyrocketed. In the 1998-99 budget year, state spending totaled $72 billion. The 2008-09 budget submitted by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came in at nearly $150 billion.

Local governments across California have similarly spiked their spending. Imagine how much worse the situation would be without Proposition 13 in place.

In New York, where raising taxes and spending is easier, property taxes statewide jumped 42 percent between 2000 and 2005 while wages grew by only 12 percent, according to a recent report in Newsday.

There's no real limit on government.