The Irvine City Council took steps to protect private property owners from having their property seized.
The ordinance, which was proposed before the election in a special council meeting NOT attended by Christina Shea or Steve Choi when the council voted to oppose Prop. 90, was approved by the council Tuesday night. It prohibits the city and the city’s redevelopment agency from taking private property to give to a private party without the landowner’s consent.
Sonya Smith didn’t provide the vote count in her story in today’s Register; but she responded to my email and told me the vote was 5-0. Given the nature of City Council votes, it would not have surprised me if the vote was 3-2 with Shea and Choi voting no.ÂÂ
Now I’m curious; given the strong Pro-Prop 90 crowd consisting of Steve Greenhut of the Register, State Ass. Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine), and both Shea and Choi, who sent out campaign literature saying that voters would lose their homes to developers, will any of them step up and praise the City Council for voting to protect private property rights?ÂÂ
I won’t hold my breath.
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Oh, I’m sure Greenhut and DeVore will come up with some complaint about the Irvine ordinance…
“But, it’s watered down!”
“But, it still allows the city to take our property to build those streets and sewers and parks…”
“But it’s not Prop 90!”
Well, the heck with them! Kudos to Irvine for passing meaningful eminent domain reform that’s NOT a recipe for disaster (like Prop 90 would have been). : )
Love it!!!
from the Orange Punch Blog….
Kudos to the Irvine City Council
From Steven Greenhut:
The Irvine City Council voted, 5-0, to pass an ordinance forbidding the use of eminent domain for private uses. Although the council had voted to oppose Prop. 90 — the statewide initiative that included eminent domain and regulatory takings restrictions — it did make good on its promise to pass an eminent-domain-only restriction once the election was over. Democrats and Republicans on the council supported this, which shows the degree to which there is bipartisan support for this property rights reform. I rarely have anything good to say about the Irvine council, but this is worthy of Kudos. Our friends at theLiberalOC aren’t holding their breath that I will say anything nice, but there you go … I did! I owe them that much after they published this fine photograph of me standing in the Register editorial offices!