by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

I do some web work for No on 98.

A while back, I mentioned a lawsuit against AG Jerry Brown regarding the ballot title for prop 98, "EMINENT DOMAIN. LIMITS ON GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY." You see, that really doesn't clearly articulate what Prop 98 does.  But, let's just think about the amount of people this actually impacts. Eminent domain? A few hundred per year. Rent Control? Several hundred thousand.

So which one should be in the ballot title? Hmmm. Nonetheless, the judge ruled that Brown, while perhaps wrong, didn't actually overstep his authority. Under the law, being wrong isn't enough, but rather you must be super-wrong. So wrong that you didn't have authority to be that wrong. So, when you get that June ballot in the mail, for prop 98 it will say "Eminent Domain. Limits on Government Authority." despite the fact that it will impact far more people through its rent control provisions than through eminent domain.  

You know, the thing that I don't get here is why Brown wouldn't include it. After all, it's pretty clear he has designs on reliving the 80's by running for governor again. You'd think he wouldn't try to intentionally mess with the tenants organizations.  But, alas, the enigma that is Jerry Brown continues.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Disclosure: I do some outreach work on behalf of the Real Eminent Domain Reform Initiative

Next year there will be two eminent domain reform initiatives. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayer's Association, has their Hidden Agendas Scheme to end rent control and to make land use planning difficult, if not impossible. They submitted signatures a few days ago. Well, today the Real Eminent Domain Reform Initiative, the Homeowners Protection Act, has submitted their signatures, over a million strong. So, we are looking at a face-off on the June ballot.

While both of these initiatives claim to help property owners. One (the Real One) protects homeowners without ending important programs like rent control. One of them (The Fake One) redefines how government would work, or in actuality, not work. The Hidden Agendas Scheme creates a litany of collateral damage in our government and follows along with the HJTA historical policy of slash and burn politics.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

A Million Signatures to be Turned in Next Week

By Nan Brasmer
President
California Alliance for Retired Americans

Rent control provides stability and peace of mind that retired seniors and individuals on fixed incomes will not be forced out of their home due to skyrocketing rents. That’s why CARA is outraged that recently a landlord-backed coalition announced they have submitted more than 1 million signatures to county elections offices to qualify their deceptive anti-senior measure for the June 2008 ballot. The landlords want voters to believe their measure is about eminent domain, but their true goal is to roll back rent control and other important renter protection laws that protect seniors.

These landlords are trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the voters and have already spent close to $2 million to qualify this classic bait and switch measure. But they won’t be successful. The California Alliance for Retired Americans will be one of many senior and tenants groups who will wage an aggressive campaign to tell voters what this measure really is: a greedy scheme by landlords to eliminate rent control so they can make millions of dollars off the backs of seniors, veterans, working moms and other Californians.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Ted Gullicksen
San Francisco Tenants Union

For more than 30 years, the San Francisco Tenants Union has defended renters in San Francisco against attacks by landlords who want to eliminate affordable housing in our city. There is a dangerous measure currently circulating for signatures to qualify for the June 2008 ballot that would undo all of our hard work.

That’s why our organization helped to organize a rally Wednesday outside the San Francisco City Hall to protest this dangerous measure. More than 100 renters, tenants’ advocates, affordable housing advocates, seniors, environmentalists, labor advocates and others were joined by Assemblyman Mark Leno and Senator Carole Migden and San Francisco PUC Commissioner Susan Leal. All voiced opposition to the Hidden Agendas measure and highlighted the landlords’ very real and very devious intentions.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]



The backers of the California Hidden Agendas Scheme have worked really, really hard to press the idea that they stand for real eminent domain reform. But, oh, by the way, their proposed initiative would also  eliminate rent control and restrict our ability to build water projects and a whole host of other projects.  Nope, the Hidden Agenda is all about tagging along other "reforms" with the eminent domain reform initiative. 

Over the flip you'll find videos of a number of elected officials and commu So, Flip it!