(San Francisco Chronicle) Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's special election campaign suddenly became all about the landmark Proposition 13 property tax initiative Tuesday when he warned elderly homeowners they could lose their houses to taxes if Democrats and union leaders got their way in the fall.

"They want to back us into a corner so eventually they can force us to raise taxes," Schwarzenegger told about 25 people in a back yard get-together at this town outside San Diego.

He accused Democratic legislators of sneaking around with backdoor efforts to "tweak" Prop. 13, the 1978 initiative that put tight caps on property taxes in the state.

"I tell them: 'Don't you dare touch Proposition 13, because the people of California voted to protect their homes," Schwarzenegger said. He talked about knowing people in the 1970s who had to sell their homes "because the government robbed them blind" with property taxes.