Hundreds of San Francisco residents rallied on the steps of San Francisco City Hall Wednesday
to oppose Proposition 98.
Photos by John Han
By Michael Steinberg and John Han
May 22, 2008
Hundreds of renters, families, immigrants, homeowners, and low-income residents rallied Wednesday against Proposition 98 on the steps of San Francisco’s City Hall to save state rent control laws.
Proposition 98 is on the June 3rd state ballot. The measure would do away with rent control laws across the State of California. Opponents of Prop 98 say the measure would also remove local protections against tenant evictions.
Accompanied by a lively drumbeat, residents chanted, “Save our city, save our state, vote No on 98.”
Renters held colorful banners from community organizations in Chinatown, Bernal Heights, South of Market and the Mission, waiving “No on 98” signs.
San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin called Prop 98, “The most insane, dangerous piece of state legislation in my lifetime.”
“Prop 98 will take power away from all of us,” Peskin said. “We have to devote ourselves to getting everyone we know to vote against it.”
San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin
Under Prop 98, current rent control laws would be “phased out.” Renters who moved into an apartment, house, or mobile home space before January 2007 could remain under rent control laws indefinitely.
However, once a tenant moves out, the same rent control laws would no longer apply.
Liana Villasenor of Community Housing Partnership called Prop 98, “An eviction notice for our families waiting to happen.”
Executive committee member of the Sierra Club’s San Francisco Chapter Rick Galbreath told Fog City Journal there are additional reasons to oppose the measure. Under Prop 98, rent control laws would be considered a “taking.” Taking is a legal term used when local government is condemning an owner’s property, or in the case of rent control, depriving an owner the full value of their property without “just compensation.”
Rick Galbreath
For example, if a rental unit is being rented below market value, Prop 98 could require local governments to pay property owners the difference between the market value and actual rental value.
“We couldn’t possibly do that for all the rent control apartments in San Francisco,” Galbreath said.
Galbreath added that property owners under Prop 98 could also demand government compensate them for potential lost revenues resulting from eminent domain actions.
“It’s hugely onerous,” Galbreath said.
LaShawndra Price of Community Housing Partnership said at the rally, “After June 3, if 98 passes, they might as well put a gold fence around San Francisco – we won’t be able to afford it.”
A protest is scheduled June 2 at the San Francisco Association of Realtors at 301 Grove St. in San Francisco.
According to opponents of Prop 98, the California Association of Realtors has contributed more than $600 thousand to support the measure.
The Hunger Site
May 22, 2008 at 10:01 am
What makes me ill is that you have this super rich, highly concentrated super minority of freakish zealots immediately following up their failed remote control blanket pet measures with a second “Are You Reeeeaaaallllly Sure You Don’t Support Our Measure?” propositions right after they lose their first time around. The morally hypocritical Jesus freaks did the same thing with their “Daddy Knows Best Permission Slip For Underage Abortions” measure, too. There should be a law against these highly undemocratic abuses of our electoral process.