A misleading ballot designation for the BAD Prop 98

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

I do some work for No on 98/Yes on 99

Today, a lawsuit was filed in Sacramento to change the ballot title for the Bad Prop 98. The current ballot title is "Government Acquisition, Regulation of Private Property. Constitutional Amendment." However, that doesn't truly represent the nature of this beast and its hidden agendas. That's why today several tenants organizations have filed the suit:

"By far, Proposition 98's greatest impact will be the provisions abolishing rent control and renter protections," said Nan Brasmer, President of the California Alliance for Retired Americans. "Currently, more than 1 million renters are protected by rent control, and this initiative will negatively impact millions of renters in the state.  When voters read the title - which is all that many voters read - they should be informed up front that Prop. 98 abolishes rent control. It's a principle point of the initiative. Voters have a right to know."

Now, I know many of us read much, much more than just the title, but that's not the case universally.  The Attorney General should strive to provide the most informative ballot titles possible for the initiatives.  And "Government Acquisition, Regulation of Private Property" doesn't mean a whole lot to most voters.

The interesting thing is that there's some evidence on intent. According to plaintiff's they have a document that indicates that the real purpose of the initiative is to eliminate protections for millions of California's renters. Not only the over 1 million Californians who reside in rent-controlled units, but also renters who just want their security deposit back in a timely matter. And if tilting the balance away from renters and towards landlords is the main purpose, then why not be honest about that?

"The overwhelming majority of funding behind Prop. 98 comes from landlords. The only reason they're funding this measure is to abolish rent control and other renter protections," said Dean Preston, Executive Director of Tenants Together.  "Even the proponents' own ballot arguments list rent control as a principle provision of the initiative. We're simply asking that the title reflect the primary provisions so voters can make an informed decision."

I'm thinking perhaps something along the lines of "Sticking it to the Renters. Freeing Developers to Pillage California. Constitutional Amendment." I suppose I could settle for something in the middle though.