ELECTION CENTER: Voter Guides

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CCF'S RECOMMENDATIONS: JUNE 3, 2008 CALIFORNIA ELECTION

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE ELECTION RESULTS BEING COUNTED

Local polling places are open Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you haven't returned your absentee ballot by mail, you can drop it off at your polling place. Remember to vote and use CCF’s information to help your friends vote with confidence.

The June 3 primary election features important primary elections to determine the party nominees for California State Assembly, California State Senate, and United States Congress. Click here for California candidate information, endorsements

Also on the ballot are Proposition 98 and Proposition 99 are competing statewide ballot propositions. Both claim to protect private property from eminent domain (government seizure) for “private purposes.” Only one is telling you the truth: Proposition 98.

Prop. 98 YES  True protection for all private property
Prop. 99 NO    False protection, hardly protects private property

Click here for California candidate information, endorsements

Background on Props. 98 and 99: The Kelo Decision

Since 2005, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled wrongly in its 5-4 Kelo decision, private property owners through America have been in an insecure position. Kelo allowed state and local government to seize private property – not only for public purposes such as freeways and government buildings – but also to sell to private parties such as developers who want to build shopping malls, other housing, etc. Property owners would be compensated, but they would be forced out despite their wishes and compensation was often lower than the market price.

Because of the 5-4 Kelo decision, all property owners – homeowners, business owners, churches, farms and ranches – could have their property seized by a money-hungry government. The only way to gain back protection is to pass constitutional amendments state by state. This year, California will have the chance to vote for real protection against Kelo and the eminent domain threat.

The Facts on Props. 98 and 99

Prop. 98 YES
Vote YES on 98 to comprehensively protect homes, businesses, churches, farms and all private property from being seized or devalued by the government for any reason except legitimate government projects. If passed, Prop. 98 will completely reverse the eminent domain threat of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Kelo decision (scroll down to read more). Yes on Prop. 98 campaign website

Prop. 99 NO    
Vote NO on 99 to stop this fake private property initiative from passing or getting more votes than Prop. 98, which is the TRUE private property initiative. While Prop. 98 completely protects homes, businesses, churches, farms and all privately-held real estate from the clutches of local and state government, Prop. 99 will only protect your home if you’ve been living there for more than a year. Prop. 99 was put on the ballot to try to stop Prop. 98. And the Prop. 99 text says that if it receives the most votes between the two ballot measures, Prop. 98 would be defeated even if it passes. That’s why the Prop. 99 website is named “No on 98.” Yes on Prop. 99 campaign website

Regarding rent control: Opponents of Prop. 98 claim it will harm renters, but that’s not true. Prop. 98 prohibits state and local communities from passing rent control laws. These laws steal from property owners, trampling their God-given right to rent their properties at the going market rate. While enacting this important reform, Prop. 98 specifies that current renters cannot have their rent increased. And renters who move and see their rent increase can be assured a reasonable rate determined by the natural market. 

Think about it. Ownership is very important in a free society. When you think about it, shouldn’t the market, not the government, determine rental prices? If you’re in favor of rent control, to be consistent you should also be in favor of passing ordinances to cap the prices of houses. Then you can say good-bye to private property throughout California. Giving government the power to devalue, thus control, private property is a mark of socialism and is opposite of both capitalism and the biblical rights of ownership. 
 
Click here for a side-by-side comparison of Prop. 98 and 99

Click here for an analysis of Prop. 98 and 99 radio spots

Official California voter pamphlet with text of ballot initiatives