I too lived in many states (KY, AZ, MI, CA, and now OH)

One common theme I noticed is that local governments take care of the locals and they stack the deck against new comers to some extent. Prop 13 is another way of doing just that. Locals and old timers get the low taxes while new comers and professionals who relocated for a job get to pay the new taxes. Though I have to say in defense of the system, it is very good for those of us who like to budget ahead of time their liabilities. It is great knowing exactly what you need to pay in taxes.