Californians Against the Taxpayer Trap

Californians Against the Taxpayer Trap

Not that anyone ever wants to hear about more horrible ballot initiatives, but passage of Prop 90 which is on CA's ballot in November would be a horrible tragedy. I'm sort of surprised that it's been getting such little coverage considering its potential impact. Basically, it's part of the libertarian effort to eliminate the right of government to regulate land use.

The bottom line:
"Prop. 90 authorizes lawsuits for any government action that someone claims will result in economic loss to property – no matter how unreasonable that claim."

No on 90 uses this example to illustrate:
"If voters act to limit the size of a development for environmental concerns to 100 houses, and the developer claims the property could hold 200 houses, this initiative allows the developer to sue to force taxpayers to pay his company the value for the 100 houses he wasn’t allowed to build. Taxpayers would be on the hook for the value of the property at the denser level, even though the community could not handle or did not want such a development."

I think this is a pretty minor example compared to what could take place... Check out the website to see what's going on. And if you're not a CA resident, you're not off the hook. The money is fueling measures all over the West. The Chron has an article here giving some context as well as some examples of eminent domain abuse.

Also, an article by Alyssa Katz in the American Prospect that I think captures the politics of eminent domain well from a progressive and politcally savvy viewpoint. She calls eminent domain the "partial-birth abortion of property rights -- a practice so evidently heinous that people who might otherwise not be sympathetic to the cause are drawn in."

Usual Suspects - San Francisco's Political Homepage

Usual Suspects - San Francisco's Political Homepage

For those interested in a metric on how "progressive" San Francisco is. Perfect data for those of you who are a fraction of my geekiness.

posting

Hi People-

Sorry, I've been obviously terrible about posting. It's a combination of not being able to post at work now that I'm in an environment that cares about what I'm doing all the time (compare with school where nobody cares unless it's groupwork), particularly at the computer -- we're also discouraged from blogging in particular because it undermines our nonpartisan credentials when we write reports and then people google us and get our blog -- but I plan to just be tactful not absent. Also, so far, this blog has been under-the-radar enough that it doesn't show up with a search for my name. It is nice to know that some of you out there are reading though!

It has also just being crazy trying to readjust to being back in SF. It is great to be back, but I just feel tired a lot of the time, and I'm still trying to get organized, get my new apartment furnished so it doesn't look like sheer chaos. I spent hours yesterday getting a 6-drawer malm together from Ikea, but it is done, and now I can get a bit more organized since there's somewhere to PUT some of the clothes that are kind of all mixed together in the closet.

Also, I just got my wireless router set up about 1 week ago, so now I can use the computer somewhere else than the uncomfortable spot where I was working before.

I bought Getting Things Done yesterday -- any friends out there using the GTD system? Rachel, I may upgrade Agendus since we're like 2 versions behind for both. Maybe with the combo of gmail, agendus, and my palm, I can get things organized.

Anyhow, I've got to run to work -- trying to maintain a relatively early schedule. But thanks to those of you who check in occasionally and push me to write stuff. I plan to be more regular with posting again soon.

Cheers-
Leo

P.S. I've been listening to the electronica station on my temporarily free digital cable (on RCN 416). It's pretty good...