Government Affairs: Articles

In the middle of the holiday season in 2000, Susette Kelo of New London, Connecticut received an unwelcome gift from her city’s redevelopment agency – an eviction notice. The area was changing – a major employer had just moved in, and the agency determined that houses were no longer the highest and best use of the neighborhood. Instead, the agency wanted to attract more jobs, tourist centers and the like. So, enforcing the power of eminent domain granted them by the City Council, the agency booted the residents, and laid out plans to raze the neat and tidy houses that had graced the streets for more than 100 years.

“Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.”-- P.J. O’Rourke

Every few years, the economy picks up, or Silicon Valley creates a new toy that makes the other toys obsolete. Property taxes go up, sales taxes increase, and the state treasury gets bloated. For Legislators, it’s like Spring Break in Florida – a free-wheeling drunken spending spree with no responsibility, accountability or sense of right and wrong; no worries about what results might come of this behavior.

Another California election, another set of ballot propositions for voters to consider. It’s a list that at first glance looks daunting, but it really isn’t. In one case, the “yes” side is urging us to vote “no,” while four measures are nearly identical, just swapping out the name of various tribes with gaming operations in the state.

Here’s a quick glance at each of the propositions:

The concept of limiting the number of terms of elected officials is as old as the Republic itself. Though it would not be the law of the land for a century and a half, George Washington himself started the tradition of our Chief Executive serving no more than two terms.

But, the question before us today is this: Should such a rule apply to every state office in California, or should the voters be able to make a decision about when to term limit their own representative?

In 1990, 52 percent of California voters determined that legislators should be limited to no more than three terms of two years in the assembly, and two terms of four years in the Senate. Along with legislators, Proposition 140 cut the budget of the legislature by 40 percent, eliminating $190 million in operating funds and more than 600 employees – including 300 policy experts.

Leslie Appleton-Young is the Chief Economist for the California Association of REALTORS®. Her recent prognostication about the future of residential real estate in California is something we should listen to.

In a nutshell, she predicts a modest decline in the median home price in California next year – about four percent. As for home sales, she predicts a seven percent drop over 2007 – but that’s a good thing. 2007 has seen an estimated 23 percent decline over 2006. No doom and gloom long-term predictions, just a stabilization.

Her message comes on the heels of the announcement that the Fairfield-Napa-Vallejo metropolitan area is number five in the nation for foreclosures. Nationwide in September, one in every 550 households across the nation faced foreclosures. In California, that figure was one in every 253, but worse here in Solano.

Looking at the future of water in Northern California

We in the water-rich north state take it for granted that cool, refreshing water is always just a tap away. We over-water our lawns, fill our pools and take long showers without much thought about where it comes from, or how much we’re using. Perhaps the only time it comes to mind is when we pay the water bill.

Solano County gets a healthy supply of water from the Sacramento River, Lake Berryessa, Lake Curry and the underground lake systems called aquifers. We’ve been pretty lucky – or spoiled some might say. People in other parts of the nation – in other parts of the state – don’t have that reliable supply of water, and must contend with things like water rationing and ridiculous low-flow toilets. In some parts of the world, developing nations have trouble supplying their residents with any clean water at all, and still others lack indoor plumbing altogether.

There are few issues so divisive as those involving land use. Newspapers are rife these days with stories of community groups opposing big box stores in their neighborhoods. More than one political career has been fueled by a person’s passionate opposition to the new housing development being proposed next to their own existing housing development. Land use issues are inherently emotional, and very personal. Whether we always admit it or not, we humans are creatures of habit – we like things the way they are. When our neighborhood looks different, or our view becomes obstructed, we resist – and we respond with emotional arguments.

Emotional land use protestors get branded with unique acronyms to identify their belief system. Many in the neighboring town of Davis get labeled as “BANANA’s” for their belief that we should “Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone.” Every City, with every project, gets a group of “NIMBY’s” – those who aren’t opposed to development in general, so long as it’s “Not In My Back Yard.”

Two years ago this month, the Board of Directors of the Vacaville Chamber made a big decision for an organization of our size. While we would remain the organization that helps members grow their business through networking and referrals, we would also become the organization that helps protect their business - and by extension, help protect and create jobs in Vacaville.

When the Bay Area’s MacArthur Maze collapsed following a fiery tanker truck explosion on April 29, CalTrans moved into high gear to get it fixed. So accelerated was the project timeline that a portion of 880 re-opened just eight days later – five days ahead of schedule. That same day, a contract was awarded to CC Myers, the Rancho Cordova-based team that re-built Interstate 10 following the Northridge Earthquake. Myers, who did the Northridge work ahead of schedule and under budget, believes that his crew can get the I-580 repairs completed ahead of schedule as well, calling for a June 5 target date.

After the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 many of us were pleased to know that the hindrances faced by many of our citizens as to public accessibility would be remedied. Unfortunately sixteen years later there are many businesses that simply are not aware of their responsibilities under the law and unless urged to take positive action simply do not.

Early this year, Assemblywoman Sally Lieber toyed with introducing legislation that would ban spanking any child age three years and younger. Any parent who has ever had a child run into a busy street, or attempt to mix a Windex cocktail for an after-dinner drink, knows that a spank in such case is more than just appropriate, it could be life-saving. For using such discipline, offending parents could expect fines or anger management classes.