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A Shield From Government Land Grabs (Steven Greenhut On The Truth About Prop. 90 Alert)
Orange County Register ^ | 08/20/06 | Steven Greenhut

Posted on 08/27/2006 10:53:33 AM PDT by goldstategop

Likewise, I've been reading the imaginative arguments from the "No on 90" committee. Proposition 90, slated for the November ballot, would ban the use of eminent domain for private uses – i.e., the transfer of your home to Costco – and would make governments pay compensation when they use regulations to steal property – i.e., the city of Brea's theft of millions of dollars in property by downzoning it so virtually nothing can be built on the land.

Most Californians, liberal and conservative, would no doubt agree with the fundamental principles here. Yet a coalition of organizations in the anti-90 campaign is claiming that these simple protections that would be afforded regular Californians if the initiative passes are really a "taxpayer trap." The groups on the list usually are in the forefront of calling for more taxes. Somehow, we're supposed to forget about the endless sea of parcel taxes, spending plans and bond measures that these groups lobby for, and believe that they are now the friend of the taxpayer.

These organizations include the League of Women Voters, the California Labor Federation, the Sierra Club, the League of California Cities, Environmental Defense, Consumers First, Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City, San Francisco Tenants Union, the American Planning Association and on and on.

The government advocacy groups want to be able to take property at their whim. They like being able to condemn neighborhoods to build theme parks, auto malls and big-box stores. The public-sector unions are able to constantly ratchet up their pensions and pay because cities can then go and create massive redevelopment areas to backfill the costs. The environmental and renter groups worry that their schemes to steal the value of others' property will be stopped once cities have to pay for takings.

(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Political Humor/Cartoons; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; calinitiatives; eminentdomain; endlandgrabs; greenhut; orangecountyregister; prop90; propertyrights; proposition90; stevengreenhut; usualsuspects
Liberals and government bureaucrats have come out against Proposition 90 - the property rights measure on the ballot that would safeguard against future Kelo abuses and restore the reading of eminent domain powers to its original understanding. If you believe the government has the right to take your home for pennies on the dollar or impose regulatory restrictions on your property that keep you from enjoying it fully, then by all means, vote "no" on this measure. Just realize that those oppose to property rights under other circumstances, are the same people who favor expanded government intrusion into your affairs and think you don't pay enough in taxes to the state.

(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )

1 posted on 08/27/2006 10:53:35 AM PDT by goldstategop
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To: goldstategop
League of Women Voters, the California Labor Federation, the Sierra Club, Environmental Defense, Consumers First, Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City, San Francisco Tenants Union,

If the above are against it, I'm for it. If they are for it, I'm against it. It really is, often times, that simple.

2 posted on 08/27/2006 11:03:11 AM PDT by Michael.SF.
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To: goldstategop
No More Kelo!
3 posted on 08/27/2006 11:23:24 AM PDT by Enterprise (Let's not enforce laws that are already on the books, let's just write new laws we won't enforce.)
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To: goldstategop
Did someone mentionthey had an Eminent Domain problem?


4 posted on 08/27/2006 11:32:27 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly catching hell for posting without reading the article since 2004)
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To: goldstategop

YES on Private Property Rights -- YES on Proposition 90!


5 posted on 08/27/2006 11:41:06 AM PDT by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: Abathar

Nice gun porn! Is that a Barett?


6 posted on 08/27/2006 11:41:16 AM PDT by MonroeDNA
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To: MonroeDNA

LOL! Gun porn. Looks like a squatter already has the domain, but that would have been a good one!


7 posted on 08/27/2006 4:16:12 PM PDT by zeugma (I reject your reality and substitute my own in its place. (http://www.zprc.org/))
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To: goldstategop
The authors of these various propositions have become rather diabolically adept in their writing of these props. Often, it appears that a "no" vote ends up being favor of the change and vice versa.

I seriously doubt anyone here in FR land is in favor of unbridled government intrusion into indiv property rights. However, there are ways around normal eminent domain procedures and I can assure you that there are law firms that regularly consult with municipalities as to how to "seize" or "rededicate" private land. I speak from near-personal experience.

One must realize that a simple letter from a municipal bureaucrat on city letterhead declaring an intention to bring an ED (eminent domain, not erectile dysfunction) action against a property is, in itself, a no-cost, no-risk immediate cloud on the title of that property.

Second, there is a law in California known as the Polanco Act. This act can compel a property owner to undertake massively costly environmental studies if in the opinion of the city a parcel may have been subject to pollution at some point. The time allowed for the completion of the environmental studies called for under this act are absolutely unattainable, often 60-90 days for the completion of the studies. And the costs of said studies can be imposed as a lien against the property if the deadlines cannot be met (and they can't......enviro/soil studies easily take many months) or if the prop owner doesn't have six figures laying around to pay for this demand. So a prop owner can literally be lien-defaulted out of his/her property. I saw a city attempt to do this, and the subterfuge they employed, including naming non-existant consultants and sending soil samples to unqualified testing labs was jaw dropping.

Believe me, when cities see the serious money in this and have a snaky developer pushing the strings, things can get quite ugly.

8 posted on 08/27/2006 10:47:09 PM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (You're never more than a half-step away from a good note.)
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To: goldstategop

Proposition 90 Official Ballot

Check one

o NO

o BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA


9 posted on 08/27/2006 10:56:17 PM PDT by philetus (Keep doing what you always do and you'll keep getting what you always get.)
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To: philetus

Don't you mean the opposite?

Prop 90 protects private property rights. Vote YES


10 posted on 08/28/2006 12:18:30 AM PDT by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: philetus
I assume you're jesting. Kelo was a huge shock to all of us - and a wake-up call. Without strong property rights, we're sure to slide into the hell known as socialism. Read up on Prop. 90 and you'll discover that its opponents are no true friends of California taxpayers. In fact, they're quite the opposite.

(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )

11 posted on 08/28/2006 12:24:44 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: goldstategop

It looks like the Chamber of Commerce has teamed up with the lefties on this one.

Land grabbers unite!

http://noprop90.com/coalition/index.php
Who Opposes Proposition 90


12 posted on 08/28/2006 12:45:05 AM PDT by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: MonroeDNA

I do believe it is a Barett. I always got a kick out of his character in the Tremor movies...


13 posted on 08/28/2006 4:28:51 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly catching hell for posting without reading the article since 2004)
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To: djreece

marking


14 posted on 08/28/2006 9:25:55 AM PDT by djreece ("... Until He leads justice to victory." Matt. 12:20c)
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To: goldstategop

You're right. I was dead tired last night and misread the post.


15 posted on 08/28/2006 6:58:14 PM PDT by philetus (Keep doing what you always do and you'll keep getting what you always get.)
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To: calcowgirl

Don't you mean the opposite?"

yes I do.I misread the post.I was really tired.Sure am glad I didn't kill anybody.Posting while tired is dangerous.


16 posted on 08/28/2006 7:08:24 PM PDT by philetus (Keep doing what you always do and you'll keep getting what you always get.)
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