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<br />8A <br />Page 9 <br /> <br />'Oregon Voters' Continued from Page 1... <br /> <br />The Homeowners Protection Act, supported by the League of California Cities. the League of <br />Homeowners and environmental, senior. business and labor groups, is honest. straightforward <br />eminent domain reform that would stop the taking of single family homes to transfer to a private <br />party. <br /> <br />The California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act (CPOFPA), however, is supported <br />by mobile home park owners, apartment owners and other landlords. Much like Oregon's <br />Measure 37, the landlords' alternative measure would gut the ability of cities and counties to <br />regulate land-use and development to protect neighborhoods and the quality of life of residents. <br /> <br />Background on the Oregon Situation <br /> <br />Oregon's experience with Measures 37 and 49 should serve as a lesson learned for voters in <br />California. <br /> <br />Originally sold as a way to "restore fairness," Measure 37 allowed property owners to seek <br />compensation if regulatory actions reduced land value and restricted use. Governments facing <br />Measure 37 claims had to either pay compensation or waive the regulations. <br /> <br />As a result, more than 7,500 lawsuits were filed in a little more than two years, seeking new <br />development on 750.000 acres. Neighbors fought over development plans and there was even a <br />threat to build a power plant on privately-owned land inside a national monument - unless <br />government paid millions to the property owner in compensation. <br /> <br />These resulting adverse consequences were not what Oregon voters thought they were getting in <br />2004. For this reason, they voted overwhelmingly to substantially restore many of the controls on <br />development of that had been ensnared by the broad language of the 2004 measure. <br /> <br />The new measure (Measure 49) allows rural landowners to build a few homes - three in most <br />cases and as many as 10 for some - but curb larger subdivisions and the industrial development <br />allowed under the 2004 law. <br /> <br />This Oregon experience provides California with a valuable lesson as the June 2008 ballot <br />approaches. If CPOFPA is approved by voters, it would likely lead to the type of unintended <br />consequences that plagued Oregon for more than two years. By voting for the Homeowners <br />Protection Act and rejecting the landlords' hidden agendas measure, however, California voters <br />can avoid what happened in Oregon and get true eminent domain reform. <br /> <br />'Budget Deficit' Continued from Page 1... <br /> <br />California's economic problems stem from the steep downturn in the housing market and a ripple <br />effect across income tax, property tax and sales tax. The Department of Finance reported in <br />October that year-to-date revenues were $777 million below the forecasted $22.66 billion. In <br />addition, the General Fund year-to-date income tax revenues are $367 million below forecast. <br /> <br />The Governor will issue his budget on Jan. 10, 2008. The League will continue to monitor the <br />budget and will provide updates through Priority Focus and the League's Web site at <br />WVY.W. cacitles. orq. <br /> <br />Preliminary Report on 2007 Local Revenue Measures Released <br /> <br />Michael Coleman, the League of California Cities' fiscal consultant, has released a preliminary <br />report on the 63 local revenue measures that voters considered on the Nov. 2007 ballot. Overall, <br />32 measures concerned city taxes, fees or financing. Five were special taxes requiring two-thirds. <br />voter approval, 26 concerned general taxes requiring majority voter approval, and one was an <br />initiative repeal of a fee. <br /> <br />2 <br />