On a few occasions I am able to find a positive act by our governor. Today represents one of his positive decisions.
Governor Schwarzenegger just vetoed Assembly Bill 2531.
In his note “to the members of the California State Assembly” he writes:
“I am returning Assembly Bill 2531 without my signature.”
Redevelopment funds are to be used solely for the purpose of eliminating blight in urban neighborhoods in California cities. This bill would authorize the use of redevelopment funds for projects that are not necessarily blighted as well as for projects outside the redevelopment area, and as such would violate the primary purpose of redevelopment law.
For these reasons I cannot sign this bill.
Sincerely,
Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
Without cutting and pasting from the bill text here is a short recap of the CRA/LA agenda in promoting this Bill that was introduced by Assembly Member Fuentes and principal coauthor Assembly Member Bradford on February 19, 2010.
If the governor had not vetoed AB 2531 it would have expanded “the ability of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Association (CRA) to acquire property through eminent domain by removing the restriction that the CRA can only exercise its eminent domain authority within designated redevelopment areas. In other words, if AB 2531 becomes law, the CRA could condemn property anywhere within the City of Los Angeles.
Expand the CRA’s bases for asserting eminent domain to include eminent domain motivated by pure economic motives (essentially, the very conduct that created all the controversy when the Kelo opinion came down in 2005). If you think this sounds like a significant change in the law, you’re not alone.”
Several commentators have reacted negatively to AB 2531, including:
In a September 28 post on citywatchla.com, “Dangerous New Bill About to Become LA Law,” Ziggy Kruse summarizes AB 2531 as follows: “AB 2531 expressly unleashes CRA/LA to roam city wide and take any piece of property and give it to one of its developer cronies.”
Timothy Sandefur, writing for the PLF Liberty Blog, titled his September 28 post, “Gov. Schwarzenegger ponders expanding the abuse of eminent domain in California.”
Note: Ziggy Kruse was an active member of the property rights team that successfully blocked CRA/LA from taking Bernard Luggage in Hollywood as part of the massive “W” hotel and 1600 Vine Street apartment complex redevelopment project. We represented property rights activists in a meeting with representatives of the Government Accountability Office in addressing abuses we experience in southern California. In addition Ziggy has been one of our MORR/CURE conference speakers.
Tim Sandefur is one of our property rights attorney’s who participates in our annual conference on redevelopment and eminent domain abuses where we network to assist those who are victims and compare notes with winners in abusive eminent domain activities.
The above report can be found at the following eminent domain report link:
Email from Castle Coalition colleague in Springfield, MO
“Good for him!!
Jane Carpenter ”
Note: As Vern and Art can confirm I send emails blasts of my posts across the country depending on the topic. This response came in within minutes of the blast.
It has begun!
Watch as the welfare is taken away and the entitlements start to deminish. The fact that Americans as well as legal citizens who pay taxes have been abused for so long is ridiculous!
Orange county better start using the SAVE PROGRAM or their ass is grass!
The hubris exhibited by both the state legislature and the developer lobbyists who promoted this bill to take our private property is outrageous. The expansion of the use of eminent domain from the original “public use” such as roads, schools, libraries, to “public purpose” has given our local city councils the power to take property for the sole purpose of bringing in more sales taxes, bed taxes, etc. Often these new taxes are rebated back to the developers who built the project. The public never receives the tax benefit from redevelopment. Redevelopment agencies are the tools to take our property for campaign contributors.
GG Voter.
If you are a resident of Garden Grove you surely have first hand experiences that will not go away.
In my office is a “save our homes” picket sign that was given to me by activist Verla Lambert in June of 2002. Garden Grove is the poster city for redevelopment agency abuses in Orange County
Sadly, few people realize that our elected city council members also serve as redevelopment agency board members. There is little understanding of the power and use of eminent domain given to redevelopment agencies.
You mentioned the highly respected activist Verla Lambert. There have been other local leaders, former city council candidates, such as Tony Flores and Robin Marcario have spoken out against redevelopment practices of assembling and acquiring private property for campaign contributors to city council members. There are no campaign limits in Garden Grove. Therefore, tens thousands of dollars are given to incumbent city council members and candidates in favor of maintaining the status quo.
The public has no vote when city council members issue COP, Certificate of Purchase, which are bonds. The terms of the DDA, Disposition and Development Agreements, are generous to developers such as tax rebates and reduced land assessments.
Developers plot one city against another for these agreements. It is the opposite of the free market system. It turns capitalism on its head. Local governments are doing the work of assembling property, paying mortgages, changing zoning, as well as financing loans for developers.