 |
|
|
|
|
 |
2012 PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS VOTER GUIDE RELEASED!
Where do California Candidates Stand on Private Property Rights?
The Alliance sent the 2012 Property Rights Protection Questionnaire to all California candidates running for Congress and the State Legislature to determine who shares a strong commitment to protecting private property rights.
The Voter Guide takes into account where candidates stand on limiting government’s power of eminent domain to forcibly seize homes, businesses and places of worship from unwilling sellers and putting a stop to using your taxpayer dollars for private development boondoggles.
“Defenders of Private Property Rights” embrace the following principles:
- Government’s power of eminent domain should be limited to legitimate public projects, and not used to advance private development.
- Will support legislation reforming eminent domain abuse.
- Opposes taxpayer dollars being used to subsidize private development.
While you review the Voter Guide to determine where candidates stand, you’ll note that almost all incumbents – both Republican and Democratic – remain dead fast in their commitment to protect redevelopment abuse, or remain indifferent to a system that cost California taxpayers over $5 billion a year!
The good news is non-incumbents feel otherwise!
Click here to see who stands with California property owners and taxpayers!
News Blog
“Mirage” of a Project Granted Stay of Execution by City
5.18.12 – A Ritzy hotel development in Rancho Mirage has been granted a stay of execution by the City Council, who voted to extend a taxpayer-backed $20M loan that was due to expire on June 1. Just another example of why Government should stay out of private development! Click here to read the story.
RDA Demise Helps Schools!
5.14.12 – The demise of Redevelopment Agencies in California will lead to more tax revenue allocated specifically for public education. According to this article, half of every restored RDA dollar in Santa Clara County will go to schools. In one fiscal year alone, five Santa Clara County school districts lost $50.7 million to Redevelopment Agencies! Click here to read the article in its entirety.
City of Long Beach Hoping for Legislative Bail Out!
5.14.12 – The City of Long Beach, with over half of the City deemed a redevelopment area, tried to side-step ABx1 26 last year by issuing new bonds, transferring assets and borrowing money from different government entities. Now, they’re hoping the State will bail them out of their financial woes! Marko Mlikotin, President of the Alliance, was quoted as saying “If any private business operated this way, their CEO would have been fired. In the case of Long Beach, they robbed Peter to pay Paul, and when that redevelopment plan imploded, they’re looking to taxpayers to bail them out.” Click here to read the story!
State Controller Blasts City of Hercules in State Audit
5.11.12 – State Controller John Chiang blasted Hercules in a State Audit last week, saying Hercules had “the worst set of city accounting records I have seen.” After spending over $35M on an apartment complex, the City was forced to sell the unfinished building for less than $500K – another example of reckless government spending gone awry! Click here to read the story.
California Redevelopment Association is NO MORE!
4.27.12 – The California Redevelopment Association, the 33-year old Sacramento lobbying organization that represents the interests of the politically connected developers and the corporate welfare takers, has decided to shut its doors for good! This is just one more “feel-good story” that shows Redevelopment Agencies in California are really DEAD! Click here the article in the SacBee.
City of Riverside Replies to Dept. of Finance
4.26.12 – Last week, the Department of Finance rejected the City of Riverside’s enforceable obligation payment schedule, noting that nearly $160M should not have been deemed an obligation. In a letter back to the State, the City admitted that $90M was due to “bookkeeping reasons,” but that it still really needed that $70M. After one instance of cooking the books to get more money from the State, has the City of Riverside ran out of mulligans? Click here to read the article.
Department of Finance “Slaps” Down Successor Agencies
4.25.12 – The Department of Finance has struck down 55 Successor Agencies and their enforceable obligation payment plans! Some of these “enforceable obligations” struck down by the State include loans between the City and the now-defunct RDAs and payments promised after the law abolishing RDAs was passed! Click here to read the article in its entirety.
Takes More than Redevelopment to turn Stockton into Palm Beach
4.18.12 – Other than its similar weather and proximity to water, what does Stockton, CA and Flint, MI have in common? Failed Government-financed Redevelopment plans! The best way to bring business to cities like Stockton and Flint isn’t by subsidizing private development, but by making Cities and States more business-friendly! Click here to read about the uncanny similarity between the two dissimilar cities.
Relief for Those Whose Property Taken by Eminent Domain?
4.17.12 – In the wake of the Kelo v. New London Supreme Court Decision, California passed a bill stating that if a Redevelopment Agency does not use property that it acquired by eminent domain within 10 years of acquisition for the purpose identified in the Resolution of Necessity, it must either adopt a new resolution or offer to sell the property back to the original owner. There are some questions on how that may be applied with the wind-down of RDAs through their Successor Agencies. Click here to read the article
State Questioning Two Dozen RDA Successor Agencies’ Obligations
4.19.12 – The Department of Finance is challenging at least two dozen former RDA claims about existing debts and obligations, including $150M in questionable expenditures from the City of Riverside! Click here to read the article in its entirety.