California high court says state can eliminate redevelopment

SacBee: Capitol Alert ^ | 12/29/11 | Kevin Yamamura

[SmithL]

In a significant budget win for Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday the state can eliminate the local agencies that subsidize construction in blighted areas.

The decision strengthens the state's ability to take funds from redevelopment agencies for the current budget. It also provides leverage for state leaders to use more than $1 billion annually in redevelopment property tax dollars to balance future budgets.

The court called the elimination of redevelopment "a proper exercise of the legislative power vested in the Legislature by the state Constitution."

But justices ruled invalid a second bill that would have reconstituted redevelopment agencies in a different form. That decision spells the agencies' demise unless lawmakers pass a new redevelopment plan when they return next month.

[sitkaspruce]

Hmmm. State needs money. Takes gun. Shoots itself in head, foot, and other body parts. Even less reasons to expand business’s in California. “The Last Days of the late Great State of California”. Example 2011 - 92. Lol.

[bigbob]

There’s plenty of reason to be critical of many so-called “economic development” projects, but letting the geniuses that have bankrupted a state treasury to sweep those funds down another rathole makes no sense.

If you or I do this, isn’t it called “criminal conversion”?

[ridesthemiles]

IF you are not going to do the re-development, then take those taxes off my bill, thank you very much.

Otherwise, it is fraud.

[Carry_Okie]

I’m glad to see it gone. Redevelopment has been a crooked real estate racket from the beginning, using the power of eminent domain to take land from owner-speculators to hand it to developers at a discount, usually in return for political favors.