Articles

The misuse of the Endangered Species Act : becoming clearer everyday

August 25, 2009 | By PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION

Author: Brandon Middleton When the Endangered Species Act was first enacted in 1973, it would have been hard to imagine that this law would eventually find disfavor among significant portions of the American public.  After all, who could be against protection of endangered species? As we approach 2010, however, it becomes more and more eviden ...

Articles

West Hollywood punishes developers for building houses

November 04, 2016 | By JEREMY TALCOTT

One thing that nearly all Californians agree on is that the price of housing in this state is too high. The relentlessly rising prices are unmistakable evidence of a housing shortage: not enough homes are built to meet the rising demand. Husband and wife entrepreneurs Shelah and Jonathan Lehrer-Graiwer thought they could help meet that … ...

Articles

Special taxes and California's housing crisis

November 18, 2016 | By DAMIEN SCHIFF

Yesterday, we filed our petition for review in Building Industry Association – Bay Area v. City of San Ramon, a challenge to a landowner-vote-approved tax pursuant to the Mello-Roos Act. Under the Act, taxes that are approved by a community facilities district created by landowner vote, and that will be used to pay for municipal services, & ...

Articles

San Ramon briefing complete

December 19, 2016 | By DAMIEN SCHIFF

Today we filed our reply brief on the petition for review in our challenge to a special tax levied by the City of San Ramon’s community facilities district. Our petition asks the California Supreme Court to review the court of appeal’s first-impression interpretation of the Mello-Roos Act’s limitation on municipal services financi ...