wildflower
10-28-2006, 12:11 PM
Takings
This November, voters in five states will vote on ballot initiatives which, although masquerading as "eminent domain reform" could actually be some of the worst state environmental initiatives in history.
Citizens in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, and Washington will be voting on takings initiatives which supporters claim will protect our homes and businesses from government seizure under the power of eminent domain. In fact, these propositions are nothing more than a ploy by wealthy developers to force taxpayers to pay for the right to pass and enforce land use planning laws designed to protect quality of life and the environment.
Land use, zoning, environmental, and other regulations and laws that regulate growth and development in any way are now in jeopardy – which means laws protecting communities, wildlife habitat, farmlands, and open spaces are now in jeopardy.
Defenders of Wildlife has been working with a broad coalition of taxpayers, firefighters, police officers, school teachers, consumer safety organizations, and other community groups to defeat these measures. Don’t let others be fooled by these Trojan horse initiatives. Help us defeat these ballot initiatives – vote NO and spread the word!
Buyers Remorse
Two years ago, voters in Oregon passed a similar measure. Today, Oregon communities can no longer regulate growth and development in a way that protects their way of life -- and urban sprawl is now a greater threat than ever to the state’s precious wildlife habitat, farmlands and open spaces. It’s such a mess in the state that, according to a poll earlier this month, nearly 60 percent of voters in Oregon would reject the measure if it were on the ballot today.
Click here to read more about the Oregon poll
State Takings Initiatives
Arizona -- Vote no on Proposition 207: Costly to Taxpayers, Harmful to Neighborhoods
Proposition 207, deceptively titled "Private Property Rights Protection Act," is a confusing bait-and-switch proposition on this fall's ballot. Under the guise of merely addressing eminent domain problems, it goes well beyond, and includes an extremely expensive, confusing and bureaucratic measure that forces governments to pay speculators for alleged value losses or waive zoning laws and rules for them. Our taxes would be paid to special interests simply because those interests must comply with laws that protect our homes, our property and our communities.
Visit www.noprop207.org (https://www.noprop207.org/) for more information on Proposition 207 and ways you can help.
California -- Vote no on Proposition 90: The "Taxpayer Trap"
https://www.defenders.org/prop90/noprop90.JPGProp 90’s "pay to protect" provisions would allow wealthy developers, corporations, and other special interests to demand huge payouts from local taxpayers just by claiming a law has harmed the value of their property or business – no matter how important the law or how far-fetched the claim! The out-of-state property rights extremists behind Prop 90 are selling it to the public as "eminent domain reform" that will "protect our homes." But hidden in the fine print are extreme provisions that would require local taxpayers to pay for the "right" to pass and enforce environmental and land use laws that protect our quality of life. This "trap" would prevent us from protecting species we love, such as the charismatic sea otters, diminutive burrowing owls, secretive Pacific Fishers, and our majestic California Condors.
Click here to listen to a message from Defenders of Wildlife President, Rodger Schlickeisen about Prop 90. (https://www.defenders.org/prop90/Defenders_Call_from_Rodger.wav)
Visit https://noprop90.com/ for more information on Proposition 90 and more ways you can help.
Idaho -- Vote no on Proposition 2 to protect Idaho Neighborhoods
Proposition 2 also uses eminent domain and slips in a takings provision allowing irresponsible developers to dodge local planning laws, forever changing the character of neighborhoods and rural lands. Under Proposition 2, a speculator could build a junkyard, power plant or high rise next to your house, or taxpayers would have to pay them not to. Unlike Measure 37 in Oregon or I-933 in Washington, there is no provision allowing governments to wave the regulation instead of paying compensation, meaning that taxpayers would foot the bill for every claim.
Visit https://www.neighborsprotectingidaho.org (https://www.neighborsprotectingidaho.org/) for more information on Proposition 2 and more ways you can help.
Montana -- Vote no on I-154; Raw Deal for Taxpayers Special Deals for Outside Developers
Initiative-154 is a copy of Oregon's Measure 37. It restricts government's power of eminent domain while inserting the same "takings" provisions. The initiative requires governments to waive any new regulation that reduces property values, or pay for the reduced value – does not apply to public health and safety. In addition, it prohibits governments from taking private property if they intend to transfer an interest in the taken property to another private party. This prohibition does not apply to private utility, water, transportation, and mining projects currently defined as public uses.
There is a legal challenge of the initiative challenging signatures, but while we won the first round the Montana Supreme Court has not yet ruled and the state has said they will count the votes either way.
Visit https://www.No154.org (https://www.no154.org/) to learn more about Initiative-154 and more ways you can help.
Washington -- Vote no on 933; too many questions, too many loopholes, too costly for taxpayers
Initiative 933 creates a “waive or pay” system that makes communities decide between exempting people from the law or pay special interests potentially hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to comply with the law. The measure: allows for rights to be transferred, requires government agencies to consider the effects of and alternatives to regulating private property, requires compensation when regulations are enforced that damage private property use or value, and is even retroactive – including regulations that were passed as of January 1, 1996.
Visit https://www.noon933.org/ to learn more about Initiative 933 and more ways you can help.
Don’t forget to forward this information on to your friends, family, and neighbors throughout your state!
HOME (https://www.defenders.org/) | PRIVACY (https://www.defenders.org/donate/privacy.html) | CONTACT (https://www.defenders.org/donate/contactus.html) | SITE GUI (https://www.defenders.org/donate/sitemap.html)
This November, voters in five states will vote on ballot initiatives which, although masquerading as "eminent domain reform" could actually be some of the worst state environmental initiatives in history.
Citizens in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, and Washington will be voting on takings initiatives which supporters claim will protect our homes and businesses from government seizure under the power of eminent domain. In fact, these propositions are nothing more than a ploy by wealthy developers to force taxpayers to pay for the right to pass and enforce land use planning laws designed to protect quality of life and the environment.
Land use, zoning, environmental, and other regulations and laws that regulate growth and development in any way are now in jeopardy – which means laws protecting communities, wildlife habitat, farmlands, and open spaces are now in jeopardy.
Defenders of Wildlife has been working with a broad coalition of taxpayers, firefighters, police officers, school teachers, consumer safety organizations, and other community groups to defeat these measures. Don’t let others be fooled by these Trojan horse initiatives. Help us defeat these ballot initiatives – vote NO and spread the word!
Buyers Remorse
Two years ago, voters in Oregon passed a similar measure. Today, Oregon communities can no longer regulate growth and development in a way that protects their way of life -- and urban sprawl is now a greater threat than ever to the state’s precious wildlife habitat, farmlands and open spaces. It’s such a mess in the state that, according to a poll earlier this month, nearly 60 percent of voters in Oregon would reject the measure if it were on the ballot today.
Click here to read more about the Oregon poll
State Takings Initiatives
Arizona -- Vote no on Proposition 207: Costly to Taxpayers, Harmful to Neighborhoods
Proposition 207, deceptively titled "Private Property Rights Protection Act," is a confusing bait-and-switch proposition on this fall's ballot. Under the guise of merely addressing eminent domain problems, it goes well beyond, and includes an extremely expensive, confusing and bureaucratic measure that forces governments to pay speculators for alleged value losses or waive zoning laws and rules for them. Our taxes would be paid to special interests simply because those interests must comply with laws that protect our homes, our property and our communities.
Visit www.noprop207.org (https://www.noprop207.org/) for more information on Proposition 207 and ways you can help.
California -- Vote no on Proposition 90: The "Taxpayer Trap"
https://www.defenders.org/prop90/noprop90.JPGProp 90’s "pay to protect" provisions would allow wealthy developers, corporations, and other special interests to demand huge payouts from local taxpayers just by claiming a law has harmed the value of their property or business – no matter how important the law or how far-fetched the claim! The out-of-state property rights extremists behind Prop 90 are selling it to the public as "eminent domain reform" that will "protect our homes." But hidden in the fine print are extreme provisions that would require local taxpayers to pay for the "right" to pass and enforce environmental and land use laws that protect our quality of life. This "trap" would prevent us from protecting species we love, such as the charismatic sea otters, diminutive burrowing owls, secretive Pacific Fishers, and our majestic California Condors.
Click here to listen to a message from Defenders of Wildlife President, Rodger Schlickeisen about Prop 90. (https://www.defenders.org/prop90/Defenders_Call_from_Rodger.wav)
Visit https://noprop90.com/ for more information on Proposition 90 and more ways you can help.
Idaho -- Vote no on Proposition 2 to protect Idaho Neighborhoods
Proposition 2 also uses eminent domain and slips in a takings provision allowing irresponsible developers to dodge local planning laws, forever changing the character of neighborhoods and rural lands. Under Proposition 2, a speculator could build a junkyard, power plant or high rise next to your house, or taxpayers would have to pay them not to. Unlike Measure 37 in Oregon or I-933 in Washington, there is no provision allowing governments to wave the regulation instead of paying compensation, meaning that taxpayers would foot the bill for every claim.
Visit https://www.neighborsprotectingidaho.org (https://www.neighborsprotectingidaho.org/) for more information on Proposition 2 and more ways you can help.
Montana -- Vote no on I-154; Raw Deal for Taxpayers Special Deals for Outside Developers
Initiative-154 is a copy of Oregon's Measure 37. It restricts government's power of eminent domain while inserting the same "takings" provisions. The initiative requires governments to waive any new regulation that reduces property values, or pay for the reduced value – does not apply to public health and safety. In addition, it prohibits governments from taking private property if they intend to transfer an interest in the taken property to another private party. This prohibition does not apply to private utility, water, transportation, and mining projects currently defined as public uses.
There is a legal challenge of the initiative challenging signatures, but while we won the first round the Montana Supreme Court has not yet ruled and the state has said they will count the votes either way.
Visit https://www.No154.org (https://www.no154.org/) to learn more about Initiative-154 and more ways you can help.
Washington -- Vote no on 933; too many questions, too many loopholes, too costly for taxpayers
Initiative 933 creates a “waive or pay” system that makes communities decide between exempting people from the law or pay special interests potentially hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to comply with the law. The measure: allows for rights to be transferred, requires government agencies to consider the effects of and alternatives to regulating private property, requires compensation when regulations are enforced that damage private property use or value, and is even retroactive – including regulations that were passed as of January 1, 1996.
Visit https://www.noon933.org/ to learn more about Initiative 933 and more ways you can help.
Don’t forget to forward this information on to your friends, family, and neighbors throughout your state!
HOME (https://www.defenders.org/) | PRIVACY (https://www.defenders.org/donate/privacy.html) | CONTACT (https://www.defenders.org/donate/contactus.html) | SITE GUI (https://www.defenders.org/donate/sitemap.html)