Prop. 99 Has Proven to Be A Sham

Former California State Senator Jim Nielsen has an important article on eminent domain in California after the passage of the League of Cities' Prop. 99:

Not even two months have passed since Prop. 99 became law and public agencies are already exploiting ways to circumvent the voter approved ballot measure that the California League of Cities, an association that represents local government, and other development interests claim provides homeowners “ironclad” protections against eminent domain abuse. 

Efforts to circumvent purported protections by the cities of Vista and Baldwin Park provide further evidence that the League and the California State Association of Counties qualified Prop. 99 for the sole purpose of defeating Prop. 98, a competing eminent domain ballot measure championed by advocates for private property rights.  Clearly, Prop. 99’s authors never intended their measure to limit government’s power to seize private property from unwilling sellers for private development given the many loopholes being exploited by local government today.

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