Letter: Paying for Closed Public Services

It is wrong and unjust to have to pay 2020 property taxes on April 10 when – due solely to the determination of the state of California, the county of Orange and/or the city of Laguna Beach – I am prohibited from utilizing so many of the very attributes and services I am supposed to be paying for.

I have been compelled to remain locked-up in my house so I truly I am not allowed to use any of the “attributes and services” to which I’ve referred. Even if I was allowed to venture outside, the city of Laguna Beach and/or the county of Orange have – in their own infinite wisdom – unilaterally closed all parks, beaches, restaurants, bars, schools, city and county services, all of which are precisely why I should be paying property taxes but given they’ve all been closed it is positively ludicrous to expect we residents to still pay for said denied attributes and services.

I completely understand the unprecedented pandemic we’re living through right now and I am not necessarily complaining about or criticizing the closures but I do completely disagree with – and find it unjust and inequitable – that we be expected to still pay for attributes and services I am prohibited from enjoying.

In closing, I read on the county’s website something to the effect a spokeswoman for State Controller Betty Yee said there’s nothing in state law allowing her or counties to extend the deadline – well that is an absolutely ridiculous, shameful and pathetically-lame excuse; have Ms. Yee (who I attempted to contact directly but conveniently she has no contact information listed) show me where the IRS or the FTB codes explicitly state tax filing deadlines will be extended in the event of a coronavirus pandemic – yet both of those government agencies were sensible, reasonable and responsible enough to figure out how to do the right thing, so why can’t or won’t the county of Orange also “do the right thing?”

Kevin Kroft, Laguna Beach