Homeowners beware: How transfer taxes steal your equity

• March 24, 2025

As a homeowner, you dutifully pay your property taxes every year, no matter how painful. Notwithstanding Proposition 13’s tax limitations, California is not a low property tax state. According to the Tax Foundation, we rank 18th out of 50 states in per capita property tax collections.

But it could be worse. Much worse. Without Prop. 13, most homeowners would see their property taxed at least double or, in some cases, by a factor of five or six. (For those curious about how much they would pay without Prop. 13, try out HJTA’s calculator at GuessingGame.org.)

Prop. 13 works by limiting the property tax rate to one percent and then limiting the increases in “taxable value” to two percent per year. It is the latter provision that allows homeowners in California to build up equity in their homes, year after year, without being forced to sell because of an annual tax bill based on current market value.

But there is another type of property tax that lies in wait for homeowners when they sell their property – transfer taxes. Technically, transfer taxes are not property taxes in the traditional sense because they are not imposed as an incident of property ownership. Rather, they are imposed on the sale or other transfer of real property.

When Howard Jarvis wrote Prop. 13, he knew that, if he just limited the ad valorem (based on value) property tax, governments would circumvent that limitation by quickly imposing other local taxes. That’s why Prop. 13 expressly prohibited taxes on the sale of property. Here’s the language: “Cities, Counties and special districts, by a two-thirds vote of the qualified electors of such district, may impose special taxes on such district, except ad valorem taxes on real property or a transaction tax or sales tax on the sale of real property within such City, County or special district.” (emphasis added).

To any normal, fair minded person, this constitutional language is crystal clear in prohibiting transfer taxes. But the judiciary in California is neither normal nor fair-minded. Over a strong dissent, the California Supreme Court defined “special taxes” as only those taxes that were for a “special purpose.” This created a massive loophole and severely in a way that limited the reach of Prop. 13.

At the time of Proposition 13’s passage in 1978, state law permitted the collection of a “documentary stamp tax” on transferring of interests in real property. The tax, still imposed in many jurisdictions, is relatively modest, with the standard rate being $1.10 per $1,000 of value.

But now many cities are imposing real estate transfer taxes in excess of $45 per $1,000 of value based on the Home Rule doctrine that grants charter cities more taxing authority. Moreover, under Home Rule, cities can impose higher rates for more valuable property rather than the flat rate of $1.10 per $1,000.

Even worse, because of the infamous Upland decision, local governments operating behind the front of “citizen groups” can propose “special taxes” by initiative, evading the requirement of a two-thirds vote of the electorate to pass. And while the courts originally said transfer tax revenue must go into a municipality’s general fund, special taxes under Upland can be exclusively directed to whatever the local government, or special interest group, wants.

The worst abuse of Upland occurred in Los Angeles. Pursuant to Measure ULA, which became effective in 2023, high-value properties are now subject to very high transfer taxes. Although the ballot measure was sold to the voters as a “mansion tax,” it applies to all properties, both commercial and residential, worth more than $5 million, including apartments.

As expected, the ULA tax is generating a lot less revenue for homeless programs than the proponents thought. Instead, it has thrown the real estate market in one of America’s largest cities into chaos. It has gotten so bad that even Mayor Karen Bass said she thinks the whole issue of Measure ULA should be revisited.

For ordinary homeowners, be aware that transfer taxes are only increasing, both in terms of the amount of the tax and the purposes for which they are being collected. There are very powerful progressive interests which intend to impose transfer taxes at a level to completely “recover” all the taxes that were not owed by homeowners because of Prop. 13.

And that’s how they plan to steal the equity in your home.

Jon Coupal is president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

​ Orange County Register 

Mexico wins CONCACAF Nations League final over Panama

• March 24, 2025

INGLEWOOD — The talk about who is the best forward in CONCACAF, must always include Raúl Jiménez and prove why in the CONCACAF Nations League.

Jiménez scored two goals in Mexico’s semifinal win at Canada Thursday and he added another two goals in Sunday’s 2-1 win against Panama in the final in front of 68,212 at SoFi Stadium.

This is Mexico’s first CONCACAF Nations League championship.

“I’m happy for the players, I’m very happy about their performance,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre. “It’s not easy to beat any team. Panama showed great resistance. I hope they qualify for the World Cup.”

Aguirre, in his third stint as coach of the Mexico, returned last July.

Jiménez opened the scoring in the eighth minute. The winning goal came into stoppage time as he stepped up to the penalty spot and converted, sending the Mexican fans into a wild celebration.

Jiménez has scored 10 goals with Fulham in the English Premier League. He had scored two goals for Mexico last season and has already doubled that this year.

Mexico received a break on a free kick when Panamanian defender José Córdoba was called for hand ball violation, with it appeared the ball was heading out of play.

Jiménez stepped up, sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and the ball was in the back of the net. He becomes the first player to score multiple goals in more than one match in the CONCACAF Nations League.

“If you put that player in a Canada team or a USA team, he can help you win tournaments and that’s what he did,” legend Thierry Henry said of Jiménez on the Paramount+ wrap-up show.

Panama tied the game at 1-1 on Adalberto Carrasquilla’s successful penalty kick in the first minute of stoppage time.

“When Mexico scored, everything looks bad, but the reaction of the team was very good,” Panama coach Thomas Christiansen said. “We had important opportunities before the penalty (in the second half).

“We had a small country with big dreams. The team fought. The players had that personality in both games. We had better opportunities against Mexico. After a loss you suffered in the last minute, it hurts, but as I said before, I’m honored to be head coach of this team.”

Mexico and Panama met in the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, also at SoFi Stadium in 2023, with Mexico winning 1-0.

​ Orange County Register 

NCAA Tournament: UCLA women’s dominant 3rd quarter sends them into the Sweet 16

• March 24, 2025

LOS ANGELES — UCLA women’s basketball is making a return to the Sweet 16. The Bruins found their stride in the third quarter to put Richmond away 84-67 in their last home game of the season at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday.

Lauren Betts scored a game-high 30 points and pulled down 14 boards. Kiki Rice recorded a career-high four 3-pointers and dished out seven assists in the Bruins’ third straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

@haleymsawyer

The UCLA women’s basketball team salutes its fans after beating Richmond 84-67 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. #sports #womensbasketball #basketball #ucla #marchmadness #collegebasketball #ncaatournament

♬ original sound – Haley Sawyer

UCLA turned the ball over a season-low five times in the game after committing 17 turnovers in its first-round game against Southern.

Top-seeded UCLA will proceed to the Spokane Regional, which is slated for March 28-31 at Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington. The Bruins are in search of their first Final Four appearance after falling to LSU in the Sweet Sixteen last season.

UCLA used an 18-2 scoring run to pull away in the third quarter after being tied with the Spiders at halftime.

The Bruins hit three 3-pointers in a span of roughly two minutes to gain a 55-43 lead with five minutes remaining and went on to shoot 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. Londynn Jones banked two of those shots to bring the crowd of 6,119 to a roar loud enough to drown out the game announcer.

They attacked the glass and scored 12 second-chance points in the third while the defense limited Richmond, which earned its first NCAA Tournament win on Friday, to seven points.

Eighth-seeded Richmond owned the No. 5 three-point percentage in the country heading into the game at 38.32% but took an outside-in approach throughout the first half to tie the game at 36-all at the break.

The Spiders scored the majority of their points in the paint yet still made 4 of 7 shots from range at that point. Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Maggie Doogan contributed 16 points in the opening half and finished with a team-high 27 points.

UCLA put together a 7-0 scoring run in the second quarter after trailing 20-18 at the end of the opening frame. Betts, a USBWA First Team All-American, held her ground at center and scored 14 points in the first half while collecting four rebounds on the offensive end despite facing double and triple-teams.

Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year Janiah Barker spent most of the second quarter on the bench with an apparent injury. She had an ice pack at the base of her neck when she went with the team to the locker room at halftime.

Barker had limited minutes for the remainder of the game but the Bruins had built up enough of a cushion in the third quarter to preserve a roughly 20-point lead in the remainder of the game.

​ Orange County Register 

With age comes self-delusion; just don’t look in the mirror

• March 24, 2025

By Shaun Tumpane

Laguna Woods Globe columnist

Everyone ages at their own pace, following all the DNA markers from ancestors both recent and ancient. It can also be said without fear of contradiction that each generation ages together as a group in a general sense.

With age comes gray hair (not necessarily wisdom), the midriff bulge aka the “pear shape,” the old man gait or “waddle,” age spots sometimes referred to as old folks’ freckles, and the always intricate comb over.

Comb overs come in a variety of styles: the exquisitely crafted part a half inch above the ear, then the 6-inch wave of hair, thinning by the second, that disappears behind the other ear.

Then there’s the halfway comb over, which begs the question, “Why bother?”

My hairstylist commented on my ever increasing bald spot, saying, “Why does no one belittle the guy who does the comb over front to back, but everyone derides the side to side version?”

The answer to that remains elusive. I don’t worry about my bald spot. I just make sure I hang around people who are shorter than I who can’t see the vanity of my coif. Once I sit down, however, the subterfuge is exposed, literally.

But let’s get back to the main topic: group aging and the self-delusion that accompanies it.

When I came to the Village in my mid-60s, I was overweight but not pear shaped as many of my golfing buddies were. During middle age, one’s girth is referred to as “my spare tire,” which an unbiased observer might describe as a bicycle, Volkswagen or even dump truck tire.

In our dotage, tire has given way to the more accurate descriptive term “pear shaped.”

Fast forward 10 years.

I’ve had an epiphany. Do I look the same as I did when driving through Gate 7 for the first time? Not bloody likely. I’m heavier, grayer (especially on my arms, which bothers me more than it should), more hair growing where I don’t want it to (nose, ears), parts of my body that keep growing (i.e. ears again) while other parts seem to be shrinking, although for many of us, we can’t really tell, between our fading eyesight and expanding girth.

However, the silver lining is that everyone around me, with a few notable exceptions, is also going to seed at basically the same rate.

So, compared to all my bros in the hood, I haven’t changed my position on the chart. What a blessing.

None of us look the same as we did a decade ago, but we do look the same relative to each other. That is, until and unless we gaze into a mirror after coming out of the shower. Talk about eye pollution! OUCH!

Shaun Tumpane is a Laguna Woods resident.

​ Orange County Register 

Newport Beach’s Fred Couples comes up short in final round of Hoag Classic

• March 24, 2025

NEWPORT BEACH — History, and hometown favorite Fred Couples, will have to wait.

In his quest to become the first three-time champion in tournament history, Couples came up short on Sunday, disappointing a huge gallery at Newport Beach Country Club that came out to support him, while Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez played bogey-free golf to shoot a 4-under 67 and win the 2025 Hoag Classic by one shot.

Playing in the final group with Couples, the 36-hole co-leader and a resident of nearby Corona del Mar, Jimenez shot 67-64-67 to finish at 15-under 198, one shot clear of Stewart Cink (14-under after a final round 65) and Swede Freddie Jacobson (14-under after a 67). Undone by a bad approach shot on the third hole, Couples shot an even-par 71 and tied for eighth at 11-under.

Tied with playing partner Jacobson going to the par-5 18th hole, Jimenez hit a perfect drive down the middle of the fairway, hit a second-shot 3-wood from 250 yards directly in front of the green, then hit a crisp chip shot up the slope that skidded to a stop near the cup. The tap-in birdie clinched Jimenez’s 15th title on PGA Tour Champions, his second this season, and vaulted him into the lead on the Schwab Cup points list.

Jimenez, 61, said it was a routine chip shot except for the circumstances.

“With the tournament on the line, it’s not easy,” Jimenez said after the trophy presentation, standing on the middle of the 18th green, where he also received an oversized $300,000 check and the customary white Hoag Hospital lab coat that goes to the champion. “It’s under the pressure, so I tell myself, ‘Contact with the ball, look at the ball, contact with the ball.’

“The chip shot is a little uphill. It’s not a very difficult shot, but in that situation, it’s not easy. I know I had to make birdie to win the tournament, and I make it.”

Though disappointed with his uneven play Sunday, Couples said Jimenez unquestionably deserved to win.

“I played with Miguel all three days, and he played beautifully,” said Couples. “I’m not going to say he never missed a shot, but he (rarely) hit a ball off-line. He hit it really well today. It was fun to play with him. He deserved to win. … I just had no feel today. I couldn’t scare a scarecrow.”

With fans lining the first hole from tee to green, a scene reminiscent of Tiger galleries at Riviera and Torrey Pines in years past, Couples began the final round tied for the lead with Jimenez at 11-under, coming off a second-round 64 – one shot lower than his age. Then he rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 2 to grab sole possession of the lead at 12-under.

It turned out to be the first and only roar Sunday from Couples’ very vocal fans. Then he lost the lead and his momentum on the next hole, and he never recovered. He finished the round with 15 consecutive pars, some of them excellent par-saves and some of them good birdie putts he couldn’t convert.

In retrospect, Couples’ title chances were dashed by an uncharacteristically wild approach shot from the middle of the fairway on the par-5 third hole, which he pulled into a greenside water hazard en route to a bogey. It was a two-shot swing after playing partners Jimenez and Freddie Jacobson both made birdies.

“I make birdie on No. 2 and smoked a drive on No. 3,” Couples said, shaking his head and his voice trailing off.

With 230 yards to the front of the green, Couples debated on whether to hit a 5-wood or a 3-hybrid on his second shot. He chose the hybrid and regretted the choice after overswinging and hitting it left in the water.

“I’ve never hit the ball in the water there,” Couples said. “Never … I’ve played how many times here? I needed to hit a 5 wood there, but if I push a 5 wood to the right I’ve seen many balls go into no-man’s land, so I just chickened out.”

Couples, who has been battling a head cold for the past week, didn’t use it as an excuse.

“I’m actually starting to sweat it out,” he said. “But I had no feel today. Just didn’t have much zip. … It was all ugly today; it really was. I couldn’t much. Even when I thought I hit a good shot, it came up short.”

In contrast, Jimenez hit the clutch shots when he needed them, especially after Jacobson, Cink and Y. E. Yang all made moves to tie for the lead at different junctures. His most spectacular shot came on the par-4 10th hole after he drove into the left rough. He tried to hit a low hook around a huge tree directly in front of him, but the shot got away from him and wound up well left and past the green. Staring at a very real bogey possibility, he nearly holed a flop shot lipping out for par that protected his lead.

“Shot of the week,” Jimenez said.

“That was all-world,” Couples said.

After that save, Jimenez played a solid the rest of the way, making all pars except for birdies on the par-5 15th and par-5 18th. He made no bogeys in his final 38 holes.

After rolling in the short birdie putt to clinch the title, Jimenez pretended to put his sword in an imaginary sheath, the way Chi Chi Rodriguez used to do.

Then he lit up a victory cigar. “Arturo Fuente,” he said, smiling. “I’ll bring a whole box next year.”

NOTES: The tie for second was rookie Jacobson’s best finish in four starts on PGA Tour Champions. He had a 25-foot birdie attempt to force a playoff on the last hole but missed it right . . .Two-time Hoag Classic champion Jay Haas, 71, shot his age or better in all three rounds: 70-67-69 . . . 2008 Hoag Classic champion Bernhard Langer, the all-time leader with 46 career Champions titles, shot 3-over (74-70-72), his worst finish in a 54-hole Champions event ever. . . . Paul Goydos of Coto de Caza finished tied for 29th at 5-under.

​ Orange County Register 

Unseasonably high temps to hit Southern California on Monday

• March 24, 2025

Temperatures are expected to heat up to unseasonably warm highs Monday, March 24, reaching around 90 degrees in some areas of Southern California.

Across the region, meteorologists predict temperatures will peak Monday, cool down a bit Tuesday and return to normal by Wednesday.

Highs Monday are expected to be in the 70s near the coast in Orange County and reach the 80s in inland parts of the county. Inland Empire highs are expected to be in the upper 80s and low 90s, said Brandt Maxwell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego.

Across L.A. County, highs are expected to stay between the low 80s and low 90s, on average about 10 to 20 degrees higher than normal temperatures at this time of year, said Devin Black, a meteorologist with NWS L.A. Overnight into Tuesday, temperatures will cool to the 40s and 50s in the most areas, with lows in the 60s for some cities in the hills.

There’s a low to moderate risk of heat-related illnesses on Monday, with specific concerns for sensitive groups, including young children, older adults, people without air conditioning and anyone who has to spend long periods outside.

The weather service recommends everyone stay hydrated, wear light clothing and schedule outdoor activities outside the hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Anyone who has to work outside should take frequent breaks in air conditioning or shade.

On Tuesday, temperatures should cool slightly, with highs in Orange County ranging from the high 60s and 70s in the coastal areas, and highs in the 70s and 80s inland. The Inland Empire is expected to see highs in the mid-80s, with some areas experiencing a high of 91 degrees, Maxwell said.

High temperatures in Los Angeles County are expected to drop about five degrees from Monday.

Temperatures should cool to seasonable highs by Wednesday. Highs are expected to be in the 60s in coastal Orange County and the low 70s further inland. In the Inland Empire, highs should stay around the mid to upper 70s.

Coastal parts of L.A. County are expected to stay in the 60s, while most inland parts of the county should be between 70 and 80 degrees.

​ Orange County Register 

Ducks’ playoff hopes dwindle with loss to Carolina

• March 24, 2025

ANAHEIM — Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh was in the Ducks’ dressing room at Honda Center on Sunday night, but while they may have been bolted up pregame they ultimately drifted even further from bolting down a playoff spot, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-2.

The St. Louis Blues defeated the Nashville Predators on Sunday, opening a gaping 13-point advantage on the Ducks for the final wild-card berth in the West, which the Ducks now have only a dozen games to close. Carolina, which lost 7-2 to the Kings a day earlier, won for the ninth time in its past 10 games.

Alex Killorn and Trevor Zegras kept their hands hot with a goal apiece for the Ducks. Lukáš Dostál gave them a fighting chance by repelling 32 pucks.

Taylor Hall turned in a hat trick for Carolina. Mark Jankowski and Jordan Martinook also tallied, while Jack Roslovic added two assists. Former Duck Frederik Andersen made 32 saves, including 16 of 17 shots he faced in the third period.

The third period saw plenty of gusts from the Ducks but they were ultimately blown over by the Hurricanes.

A mere 36 seconds after the Ducks had made it a game again, Hall hammered their coffin shut with his second goal of the match, finishing an odd-man attack by going forehand to backhand. He’d then add an empty-net goal to complete his tripleta, the sixth hat trick of the former Hart Trophy winner’s career.

With 3:23 showing on the game clock, Zegras crashed the net to stuff Jacob Trouba’s rebound through the pads of Andersen, with his ninth goal of 2024-25 halving the Ducks’ deficit. Zegras had a goal and an assist in the Ducks’ previous outing, a win in Nashville.

The Ducks began the final 20 minutes on a power play but failed to convert for the fifth time en route to an 0-for-6 evening with the extra man. Soon after it was Killorn, who’d scored a goal and drawn a penalty, taking a hooking minor and sending the ‘Canes to the power play.

There, Hall made the Ducks pay. Jackson Blake drove the net to bank the puck off Dostál’s pad and through Brett Leason’s legs, where Hall pounced for a wrist-shot marker, 2:32 into the closing stanza.

The Ducks would push hard down the stretch, perhaps most notably when defenseman Olen Zellweger’s foray to the net tested Andersen’s pad on an initial shot off a toe-drag move and then both his glove and his flexibility against a menacing followup bid. Andersen would also stone Troy Terry on a breakaway soon after, and later a partial breakaway by Ryan Strome.

The middle frame saw Carolina earn the game’s first edge and the Ducks equalized after a near miss for Carolina, who’d later regain the lead, leaving the count at 2-1 as the teams headed to their dressing rooms.

Mere instants after Dostál made a cat-like pad save on former King Sean Walker, Carolina missed on purpose when Shayne Gostisbehere’s wide shot off the end boards popped straight to Martinook, whose backhanded putback gave the visitors a lead with 5:23 left in the period.

Carolina had nearly gone up 2-0 but the one-timer of Seth Jarvis, who was none the worse for wear after a scare at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, never made it to the net when his stick broke. Soon after, the skate of Jackson LaCombe broke up a play that sent Killorn the other way with momentum, his shot sneaking through the pads of Andersen for a tying goal. It was Killorn’s 17th tally of the year and his fourth in six games, registered at the 13:04 mark.

Jankowski, who like Killorn scored his second goal in as many games, had opened the scoring with a backhanded, lateral redirection from below the goal line. His deft deflection was the former Calgary first-rounder’s 10th goal of the campaign, with seven of those coming in his past nine appearances.

The Ducks spent six minutes with the extra man in the first period but managed just two shots on goal during that time and were out-shot 11-6 in a scoreless frame. Five-on-five play clearly favored the ‘Canes, but Dostál was up to the task for the hosts, but Dostál was up to the challenge, stopping at least four high-danger chances.

​ Orange County Register 

Ukraine can’t win. The U.S. should end all aid to force peace.

• March 24, 2025

Here’s why the United States should stop supporting Ukraine, ending all military and intelligence aid: So many Ukrainian men have been killed, the country’s only chance of survival is an immediate ceasefire and a quick end to the fighting.

Yuriy Lutsenko, a former Ukrainian prosecutor general and interior minister, estimated casualties, not deaths, in January 2024 on Telekanal Pryamyy, a pro-Ukrainian, anti-Russian YouTube channel: “We must honestly say that the 500,000 that are now being talked about if divided into months, is 30,000 a month, and then we will approximately understand what is happening at the front.”

More recently, the pro-Ukraine London Times reported on March 8, “With three times more deaths than births, Ukraine has the highest mortality rate in the world and one of the lowest birth rates, a demographic crisis for which there is no swift remedy.”

The slaughter happens because Russia has air superiority, hypersonic missiles that can’t be stopped, a much larger population, multiples more artillery and 3,000-pound glide bombs it can drop on Ukrainian positions. You can’t win a war with Ukraine’s situation: close to no air power and inadequate ammunition because your U.S. and European suppliers don’t have enough.

CNN reported last September, before Donald Trump’s reelection, that supply shortages were a problem for crucial 155 millimeter ammunition and Patriot antimissile systems, which have been sent in large quantities to Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel. And replenishment “is a yearslong process that won’t quickly meet the surging demand.”

For those arguing for continued U.S. aid, here’s the question: What is your victory strategy? Trump has agreed with Ukraine to continue military aid and intelligence in return for a 30-day ceasefire. That was Joe Biden’s strategy for three years that only produced the immense casualties enumerated above.

Then there’s the other party to a ceasefire: Russia. Putin has agreed. But the Financial Times headlined, “Vladimir Putin sets tough conditions for Ukraine ceasefire: Russian president indicates Moscow is unwilling to drop maximalist demands.”

Russia’s demands include the following conditions on Ukraine: that it recognizes Russia’s annexation of the four oblasts in eastern Ukraine, and of the Crimean peninsula; removes its military from those areas; agrees never to join NATO; ends the influence in the government of what the Russians call the Nazi followers of Stepan Bandera; and holds new elections.

Meanwhile, Russian forces are clearing the Kursk area of their country occupied beginning last August by elite Ukrainian troops. Now almost all those troops are dead or captured. And Russia’s forces for that task will be freed to push further westward into Ukraine.

Again, if you disagree, what is your plan to stop the Russian forces? The only way Russia can be stopped from driving all the way to Lvov is for direct NATO involvement, beginning with the U.S. Air Force declaring a “no fly zone” over Ukraine — leading to nuclear war.

According to Britannica, since World War II, one of the criteria for a just war has been “there must be a reasonable chance of success.” Ukraine has no chance of success militarily. The war’s slaughter has been so immense, it can only survive, albeit in truncated form, if its men stop fighting instead of dying.

I’m hoping Trump is using his “Art of the Deal” strategies to work out some kind of real ceasefire, not the unreal one arranged with Ukrainian officials in Riyadh. He is eager not just to end the war, but to enter into crucial negotiations — neglected by Biden for four years — on nuclear arms limitation, the Middle East and the Arctic.

Crucially, the New Start Treaty, which limits each side to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads, expires next February. The last thing we need is another nuclear arms race.

John Seiler is on the Southern California News Group editorial board and was a Russian linguist in the U.S. Army.

​ Orange County Register