June 5, 2007

Letter to the Editor
VenturaCountyStar

Mr Dan Walters of the Sacramento Bee wrote on June 5, 2007 an article entitled "Overhauling a tax break." In the article Mr Walters picks out a minuscule property tax break to the farmers called the Williamson Act, he calls it an outdated, egregious example of a tax loophole and states that it should be abolished.

Mr Williamson has the entire situation 180 degrees out of phase, not only shouldn't the Williamson Act be abolished, but in fact farmers that produce food products for the country should be free of all property tax on the property that is used exclusively for producing food products. Of course that would take a large chunk of money out of the states coffers, but in order to offset that the state could begin taxing all religious organizations that have been on a free ride for entirely too many years for the benefit of a minority of the citizens. It seems quite obvious that farmers work help many more folks than the work of churches.

We have all been reading how the prices of food are rapidly climbing because farmers are selling most of their corn and grain products to companies that produce ethanol to burn in our autos to help eliminate air pollution. By eliminating all property taxes on the property that farmers use to produce food, lowering the farmers overhead, it stands to reason that food prices would then be reduced, as a matter of fact that could be written into the tax code. IE: If a farmer fails to reduce the cost of their product he/she would negate his/her tax break, if the farmer does not produce food on the designated property for any year, there would be no tax break for that period. Also if the farmer eventually wants to use the land for reasons other than producing food products the land would then be automatically entered on the full tax roles. This way there would be no need for an agricultural preserve contract, which only leaves the process open for finagling by less than stalwart people.

So, Mr Walters of the Sacramento Bee, instead of working on a plan that would help drive food prices, fuel prices, and most other prices upward, it would behoove you to think beyond the tip of your nose and try to help reduce all those prices.

Rellis Smith
res@venturastuff.com