I am an ordinary housewife living in Buena Park.

Well, I say ordinary, but in times like these, when it's hard to buy a house, having one like ours might not be so ordinary after all.

However, owning a house means I get stressed every time I receive the annual property tax bill.

No, it's not just one or two years; it feels like this stress repeats every year.

This year's property tax bill is $9,800... and there's a phrase on the bill.

"Thank you for contributing to the community you live in."

Contributing? What do you mean by contributing? Isn't it just a forced extraction disguised as a contribution?

I bought the house three years ago, and they told me, "You bought a nice house!" and then asked for taxes.

I think to myself, "Maybe I should have just rented... Why did I buy a house..." and my neck feels stiff.

Where exactly does this money go?

Upon investigation, it turns out that property taxes in California's OC area are typically used for education, public safety, fire services, and road maintenance.

Specifically, about 40% of the property taxes collected in my area go to the local school district.

Then, 25% goes to county government operations, 20% to city government, and the rest to special districts (e.g., fire department, water department). Education, police, fire... all are important.

I acknowledge that. But whether the $10,000 we pay every year is actually used properly within that 'reasonable distribution' is another story.

Our neighborhood elementary school? News about teacher layoffs comes out almost every year. The library budget is cut, and students study with old books.

The streets? There are potholes everywhere, and broken streetlights are left unattended for months. Fire response times? They have gotten slower lately.

Where has my property tax gone?

What's even funnier is this: when home prices go up, property taxes go up too.

Of course, California has a famous law called Prop 13, which limits property tax increases for existing homeowners to a maximum of 2% per year.

It sounds good, but in reality, it just resets the base price of the home.

Moreover, for those of us who recently bought homes, we are taxed based on the market price at the time of purchase.

Every time I see news about rising home prices in Buena Park, I mutter to myself, "Oh, the government is getting more revenue..."

Additionally, California is one of the states with the highest taxes in the U.S. Income tax, sales tax, vehicle registration tax, and this property tax.

Compared to other states, the tax burden here in California is too high.

Residents say they are willing to pay taxes for 'good education' and 'a safe environment,' but "Then why is the outcome so poor with all that money?"

Property tax is originally a tax paid just for the fact of owning a home. Regardless of what I earn, I am taxed simply for owning a house.

But owning a house is not a luxury item; it is considered a taxable asset...

Now, every time I receive the bill, I have no way of knowing if the money I paid was actually used for the community or if it just disappeared into administrative costs or bureaucrats' pensions.

It just automatically deducts money every year, and I feel like I've become a tenant paying rent to the government.

Though I have the title of 'homeowner,' I sometimes think the real owner might be the county.

We are increasingly feeling that having a home is not a blessing but the beginning of tax stress.