Foothills Sentry February 2020

Foothills Sentry Page 20 February 2020 The Amador County Tax As- sessor has been quoted as taking credit for the title of this article. California already has the worst climate for business and job cre- ation in the country, according to Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Asso- ciation. Proposition 13 (2020) would amend the state constitution to require commercial and industrial properties to be taxed based on their market value, not their pur- chase price as dictated by Propo- sition 13 passed in 1978. Resi- dential properties would continue to be taxed based on purchase price, creating a “split roll.” A split roll tax system will in- crease pressure on many busi- nesses that already find it hard to do business in our state. The taxes on a commercial property are ei- ther paid by the landlord (a gross lease) or the tenant (net lease). If the property tax increases, the landlord will increase the rent to cover those costs, and the tenant will have to increase operating costs to pay the higher rent. If the tenant pays the tax, operating costs will have to increase ac- cordingly. In either case, the price of the product to the consumer will reflect the increase. In the end, the consumer will be the ul- timate victim of the tax increase. Retailers always have pressure to keep the costs down. This change in bottom line expenses could be detrimental to our economy. In my previous life, I operated a retail store in Needles, California, bordered by Nevada and Arizona. Every time California would pass sales tax increases, taxes on li- quor and tobacco, or recycling (CRV) fees, we would notice a decrease in sales. We ultimately closed the store. Any increase in taxes will have a negative effect on consumer spending. For those property owners who are longtime landlords of com- mercial or investment property, who pay the property taxes be- cause they are low, this proposed change may force them to sell the property, or renegotiate their leas- es to cover the increased costs. Hopefully, the landlord will have the back-up capital to weather the storm. While the proposal carves out exceptions for agriculture, num- ber of employees and value, in limited cases, the majority of the increases will be paid by the con- sumer, just another way to derive more taxes out of an already tax- burdened economy. It is time to look at the other side of the bal- ance sheet. Real Estate By Al Ricci California doesn’t have a revenue problem - but rather a spending problem The Community Foundation of Orange will hold its annual Gala on Fri., Feb. 21 at the Phoenix Club. Each year, the Foundation hon- ors an individual or group who has made a meaningful impact on the community. This year’s Com- munity Champion is Waste Not OC Coalition and Mike Learakos, its executive director. Waste Not OC Coalition works collaboratively with hospitals, food banks, municipalities, the food industry and the waste haul- ing industry to reduce hunger and food waste by safely and cost- effectively recovering unwanted wholesome food for distribution to local pantries serving those in our community. The gala will include dinner, live and silent auctions, honoree presentation and live entertain- ment by members of Pacific Conservatory. Proceeds from the event will help support the out- reach programs of the Founda- tion. For tickets, sponsorships or to make a donation to the auction, please contact Susie Cunningham at (714) 288-9909 or visit com- munityfoundationoforange.org. Community champion feted at Orange Foundation Gala A tribute to Doris Day will be presented at the Crescendo Chapter Celebrity Speaker series, Thur., March 12. Performer Scott Drier’s “Do- ris Day and Me” features her hit songs, with pictures and film clips that illustrate her life and career in movies and recordings. The presentation begins at 10 a.m. at the Bowers Museum, Nor- ma KershawAuditorium, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana. Tickets are $30. Museum members may buy one discounted ticket for $20; students may purchase tickets for $25 each, or three for $20. Park- ing is available in the museum lots for $6. The Crescendo Chapter of the Guilds of Segerstrom Center for the Arts helps raise funds to support the center’s community engagement and arts education programs serving young people, families and educators in Orange County. For information about Bowers membership and student tick- ets, contact Mary Staton at (714) 544-5549. For information about Crescendo Chapter or the Guilds, Scott Drier Celebrity Speaker series features Doris Day tribute contact Jean Broussard, jean- broussard@roadrunner.com , or Tim Dunn at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, tdunn@SCFTA.org . SOUP’S ON By Liz Richell American Grub . Sound in- triguing? We thought so, too, and toddled off to Old Town Tustin to find out more. This little bistro is at 365 El Camino Real, next door to the Tustin Museum. Take a seat within the brick walled in- terior, or on the sidewalk, while the evening temperatures are still quite pleasant. The claim to fame here is – what else – burgers and hefty sandwiches. Ah, but the burgers are all made with Angus beef and served on toasted brioche buns. Things were already looking up. There are no less than 16 choices of burger, each of which bears a variety of the following: cheddar/ Swiss/blue cheese, jalapenos, ba- con, fried egg, pickles, sauteed mushrooms, even pastrami, buf- falo/red pepper/barbecue sauc- es. There’s a turkey burger and two to tempt vegetarians: one, all thin-sliced veggies; and the other a meatless patty with the usual fixin’s. At the risk of being lashed to a stake, I must confess to not being a great burger en- thusiast. But I think I’m going back to AG to try the Wyatt Earp, which is served with the Angus beef patty, smoked applewood bacon, cheddar, warm barbecue sauce and onion rings. I could become a fan after all. To add to the choice difficul- ty, there’s another list of hearty sandwiches that include four chicken choices, a French dip, hot pastrami, two melts, two pulled porks, a BLT and a chick- en wrap. Or you could opt for one of four AG specialty chicken dinners, one being chicken and waffles. Frank chose the gener- ous grilled chicken breast, served with a loaded baked potato and a small salad, and was happy with his selection. Meanwhile, I lapsed into a mild food coma as I joyfully munched through a pulled pork with melted cheese on grilled sourdough, and could only mumble an indecipherable “mm-hmm-mmm” while mop- ping my face with a fifth napkin when the pleasant server stopped by to see how we were enjoying our meals. American Grub is a good place to bring the kids. It offers plenty of kid-friendly repasts, including hot dogs, chicken wings and mac and cheese, priced from $5-$8; burgers and sandwiches are $6- $14; appetizers, $7-$17; salads, $6-$15; chicken plates, $12-$18; sides, $4-$7; and cookies, at $2 each. Soft drinks, tea and coffee are $3 each, and local craft beer and wine are also served. AG will prepare your take-out order or deliver via Grubhub. Phone (714) 505-3500, and don’t forget to tell them that the Foot- hills Sentry sent you. PROPOSITION 13: