Free Republic

Like the surprise ending to a long, dreary novel, Proposition 90 sits at the very end of this fall's crowded California ballot, a subtle plot twist that seems out of place among the more obvious turns that precede it. But take notice. This unassuming proposal is the most important question voters will confront on Nov. 7. Polls show that few voters know what Proposition 90 is about, much less understand its significance. No wonder, given that relatively little money has been spent so far communicating messages for and against the initiative. And unlike some of the other measures on the...

The complaints often come long and loud when courts strike down part or all of various ballot propositions after California elections because they're either unconstitutional or so vaguely written that no one can tell just what they mean. But sometimes these court actions are flat-out necessary, either to protect vital rights or to fix problems the voters never knew they were creating when they passed an initiative.

SACRAMENTO - Robert Redford has added a celebrity touch to those urging California voters to reject a sweeping eminent domain initiative. In an e-mail sent this week to more than 172,000 members of the Natural Resources Defense Council and made public Tuesday, Redford described the eminent domain proposition as "the single most dangerous threat that has ever been leveled at our state's environment." Put on the November ballot by property rights activists, Proposition 90 would amend the state Constitution to make it harder and more costly for governments to condemn property or pass regulations that affect land values. "Anytime our...

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...