One-On-One Interview with Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

In this extended one-on-one conversation, I sit down with Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, for a deep dive into the battles that define California’s political and fiscal future. Coupal has spent decades as the state’s foremost taxpayer watchdog, carrying forward the legacy of Howard Jarvis and the landmark Proposition 13—an initiative that continues to protect homeowners nearly half a century after voters overwhelmingly passed it.

Over the course of 42 minutes, we take a wide-ranging tour through the fault lines of California politics:

• The origins of Prop 13 and why it still commands majority support even in today’s deep-blue California.

• The relentless efforts by Sacramento politicians, unions, and courts to chip away at taxpayer protections.

• The new Local Taxpayer Protection Act—a ballot measure designed to close loopholes, restore the two-thirds vote standard for taxes, and guard against runaway local tax schemes.

• How ballot titles and summaries are weaponized by the Attorney General’s office to tilt outcomes at the polls.

• What’s happening inside the legislature right now, from last-minute “poison pill” bills to special-interest deals that could undermine reform before voters even get a chance to weigh in.

Coupal explains how taxpayer advocates have had to defend Proposition 13 again and again, battling lawsuits, legislative end-runs, and court decisions that quietly erode voter protections. He also shares why California’s fiscal issues remain a dividing line where many voters lean far more center-right than the state’s political establishment would ever admit.

This isn’t just a history lesson—it’s a timely warning about what’s happening in Sacramento right now. If you want to understand the real fight behind the headlines—the clash between taxpayers and the political machine—this interview is a must-watch.

And if you’re ready to do more than watch, head over to SaveProp13.com to sign the petition, get involved, and stand with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association as they take this fight directly to the ballot.

Watch the video, then join the conversation below. And if you care about protecting Prop 13 and keeping Sacramento accountable, you’ll want to hear every word.

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