[donaldc]

Unfortunately, Proposition 13 is a lot broader than merely allowing retirees to stay in their homes. The tax breaks can be passed on to children if they take over the house, essentially creating a privileged and heritable class of homeowners. And it also applies to properties owned by companies, which has nothing to do with people being able to stay in their homes.

If property taxes on residences are too high, they should be lowered across the board. Of course, this means that either spending will need to be lowered, or the money will need to be gained through some other form of taxation.