[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Lynda Carson

The June 2008 Ballot has a dangerous measure known as Proposition 98 (California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act, or CPOFPA). If passed by the voters, Prop. 98 would terminate rent control, tenant protections, and would place homeowners at risk by allowing unscrupulous property owners to challenge existing building codes and zoning laws that may prohibit the placing of a “pig sty” next to someone’s home, or a “porn shop” next to a church or school.

There are only two state ballot measures coming up in June, one known as Prop. 98 and the other as Prop. 99. Both competing measures are meant to prevent government from taking private property for other private use, and are in response to a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows the government to take private property and turn it over to another private interest for economic development. Activists across the state, say that Prop. 98 is bad, and Prop. 99 is good.

Prop. 98 is also a stealth measure that guts protections for land, air, water, species and natural resources, according to a legal analysis by the environmental law firm of Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Support True Eminent Domain Reform – The Homeowners Protection Act

By Larry Gross
Executive Director
Coalition for Economic Survival, Los Angeles County

Though we’ve still got to get through the February primary, progressives should be aware of two very important initiatives which just qualified for the June 2008 statewide election ballot. One is an outright attack on rent control, the environment and land-use planning and should be opposed by all progressives. The other will protect the homes of hardworking Californians from being taken by eminent domain and given to a developer. This measure deserves our strong support.

The dangerous measure, the California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act, aka the “Hidden Agendas Scheme,” is being financed by wealthy apartment and mobilehome park owners attempting to trick voters into thinking the measure is about eminent domain. In truth, the landlords’ scheme is nothing but a thinly-veiled attempt to eliminate rent control and renter protections.

by Mark Leno Campaign [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Last month, Brian wrote about the return of Proposition 90. This "Son of 90" initiative is once again rearing it's ugly head in California -- today marks the kickoff of the opposition campaign.

At noon, across the street from San Francisco's City Hall, Assemblyman Mark Leno will rally against this deceptive ballot measure with Susan Leal, General Manager, SF Public Utilities Commission; Ted Gullickson, SF Tenants Union; Barbara Blong, Senior Action Network; John Rizzo, Sierra Club; Tim Paulson, SF Labor Council and the League of California Cities.

The San Francisco Sentinel reports:

Opponents argue the Government Acquisition, Regulation of Private Property measure could displace 180,000 residents living in rent-controlled residences.

“If this measure were to pass, thousands of San Franciscans would be forced out of the city,” said Ted Gullicksen of the San Francisco Tenants Union.

“Seniors especially would be hard hit if they lost their rent control protections.”

Paul Hogarth has a long piece for Beyond Chron:

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Vivian Kahn

The folks who brought us Prop. 13 are at it again. Having made a mess of California's fiscal structure, they're now out to undermine the ability of California's communities to make decisions about how they're going to grow, preserve natural resources, and maintain and provide affordable housing.

Prop. 90 was defeated last year in part because voters weren't fooled by the sponsors' attempt to deceive them by hiding damaging provisions under the eminent domain reform banner. They are doing it again. The so-called "California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act" (CPOFPA) initiative, which some observers have dubbed the "Hidden Agendas" measure, would effectively abolish local zoning in California.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association and its supporters, including the California Republican Party, are now circulating the initiative for signatures and misleading voters about its potentially dire effects. As of October 16, they had reportedly collected well over 700,000 signatures needed to qualify their measure for the June 2008 ballot. A minimum of 694,354 valid signatures must be collected by November 26, 2007 to qualify a measure for the June ballot.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Well, it looks like it's going to happen. The Right wingers aren't ones to give up just because they got rebuffed once.  They're at it again, and, if you believe them, they've got the signatures to get on the ballot:

Today, Californians for Property Rights Protection announced that the campaign has collected well over 700,000 signatures needed to qualify the California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act for the June 2008 ballot. In order to qualify the eminent domain reform ballot measure, supporters must collect 694,354 valid signatures by November 26, 2007. The campaign is on track to submit more than 1 million signatures before this deadline. Link here

More on this proposition over the flip and why this is, yet again, a trojan horse.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

"Oops, I did it again."

Given the embarrassing state of Britney Spears these days, it seems appropriate to quote the former Mouseketeer to describe what can only be labeled a major embarrassment for the self-anointed "property rights" advocates on the right.

Last year voters rejected Proposition 90 -- the fake "eminent domain reform" measure that was a front to eviscerate environmental and consumer protection laws. This year, the property rights crowd is back, trying to qualify another initiative that serves their self-interest -- all deceptively buried under the politically compelling banner of "eminent domain" reform. 

Much like with Proposition 90, the proponents have "done it again". They’ve overreached to the point of making their measure completely toxic, even among their traditional Republican allies.

For starters, the so-called California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act (CPOFPA) would constitutionally abolish rent control in California. Just check out the contributions rolling in from apartment and mobile home park owners and you quickly come to the conclusion that this measure is not truly about eminent domain, but instead about kicking little old ladies, veterans and working families out of housing they can afford.

But here’s where they REALLY made an "oops" (and where things get fun).

There's more...