Mike might want to get in contact with the following Bayview group if he is
thinking about running for office.:
End the abusive use of eminent domain
Ballot initiative campaign kicks off
by Ken Colson
A nonpartisan group has begun a petition drive seeking to amend the state
Constitution. The coalition, calling itself �Limit Eminent Domain � The
People�s Initiative,� chose to begin its statewide campaign in Downtown San
Jose, an area that has seen massive and continuous confiscation of homes
and businesses for so-called economic redevelopment.
The grassroots movement needs to gather over 800,000 signatures by April 30
in order to qualify for placement on the November 2006 ballot.
The group is counting on mobilizing communities who are in redevelopment
project areas facing the threat of having their homes and business
condemned and people displaced by the abusive use of eminent domain by
city- or county-controlled redevelopment agencies.
The initiative seeks to have the state Constitution reflect the original
intent of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that prohibits the
seizing of private property by government except for essential public use,
such as schools, fire stations, hospitals, libraries, parks and roads.
The coalition wants to outlaw the expanded meaning of �public use� to
include projects that are for economic development. The recent Kelo vs. New
London Supreme Court case legitimized a 1952 California law that allowed
cities to create a separate government agency know as a Redevelopment
Agency, or RDA, and that gave them the right to seize private property
under eminent domain for private economic gain.
Citing thousands of abuses by RDAs statewide, the coalition is seeking to
remove �economic development� for private gain from redevelopment law. They
want to end the practice of using eminent domain to convey homes and
business to private, large, wealthy developers just so these developers can
enrich themselves at the public expense.
See the Limit Eminent Domain, The People�s Initiative, website for details:
www.LimitEminentDomain.org.
Ken Colson, who was born and raised in the Bayview, is a member of CRR,
Coalition for Redevelopment Reform. Join Bayview Hunters Point activists at
the Stop the War rally Saturday, 11 a.m., Civic Center, to register voters
and gather signatures on the petition to Limit Eminent Domain. Look for our
tables and the big Bay View banner.
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[Original Message]
From: Mike Denny <mike@...>
To: <lpsf-discuss@yahoogroups.com>
Date: 3/31/2006 9:55:28 AM
Subject: RE: [lpsf-discuss] Re: Fw: Anti-Eminent Domain Initiatives/ Phil
Berg / Michael Denny