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Legislator Betrayal

Betrayal—conveying infidelity, duplicity, even treachery.

Betrayal is a word that captures the seriousness of our legislator’s apparent loyalty to developers, builders, and Wall Street real estate investors, while abandoning the values and needs of their everyday, Main Street constituents. Legislators, knowingly or unknowingly, are selling out Californians for short term financial gains and personal political advancement, while parroting a hollow message about affordable housing.

Individually, we might cut them some slack. We know they work hard. They know they are trying to do the best they can and juggling conflicting demands.

However, legislators are falling dramatically short on doing their job as loyal representatives of the people who elected them.

Consider these seven examples of legislator’s short-comings:

- Five of the bills will “upzone,” the euphemism for drastically increasing density (AB1279, AB2345, SB-902, SB-1120, and SB1385).

- Three of the bills will “streamline,” the euphemism for gutting environmental protections (SB-995, SB-1085 and SB-1120).

- Five of the bills “incentivize,” the euphemism for giving bonuses to developers at the expense of the community (AB-725, AB1279, AB-2345, SB-1085, and SB-1385).

- Three of the bills will increase density “by right,” as is being argued for the monstrous project in Novato. “By right” gives the developers rights at the expense of the community: no rights to public notice, no rights to hearings, no vote from the elected city council (AB-1279, SB-995, and SB-1120).

The truth is there is a cabal of powerful political and financial interests that have created a threadbare narrative based on the assumption that cities have caused the housing problem. Untrue. Cities don’t build housing and cities don’t fund housing.

It is shameful that legislators are passing endless bills that line developer’s pockets, serve the greed of multi-billion-dollar corporations, and undermine community choice, instead of serving the interests of middle-class and low income taxpayers.

This betrayal is repeated and deeply harmful. The silence of locally elected officials and the general public, who are currently distracted and overwhelmed by the Covid-19 pandemic, is being mistaken for approval and is emboldening this betrayal.

Don’t let this happen! Your voices has never been more important.

Call Assembly Member Marc Levine: (916) 319-2010 or (415) 479-4920.

Call Senator Mike McGuire: (916) 651-4002 or (415) 479-6612.

Ask them to vote to oppose the nine harmful housing bills now before the state legislature.

CLICK HERE to join the “Nix the Nine Campaign” for additional steps you can take to protect the sovereignty of your community.

Tags

Nix the Nine, SB902, SB1120, SB1085