I was part of a focus group the other night, a cross section of people paid to sit through presentation and give an opinion. I like getting paid to give my opinion. You dear reader, get it for free each week. I didn’t expect to find a “Seniority Moment” there but as it turns out…
The topic was the upcoming June 3 election propositions 98 and 99. They are seemingly redundant proposals to reform the current state laws on eminent domain. You may recall the furor in Temple City about using eminent domain to acquire land for the K-Mart shopping center. Recently the US Supreme Court has ruled it legal for the government to take private land by eminent domain, then turn it over to private parties for development. Many states see the need to revise their laws to close this option. California is addressing it with these two propositions. What makes it an issue for seniors is the awareness by the groups flying the proposals that seniors are about the only folks that will bother to vote on this, and the subsequent use of older adult actors in the commercials. Old people being put out of their homes, churches closing for strip malls, oh the horror!
The idea that was the focus of our conversation turns out to have nothing to do with eminent domain. Prop 98 has a clause about phasing out rent control. It protects non-owner occupied housing, like apartment buildings and prevents the government form keeping the rent down. 99 on the other hand only protects owner occupied in the past year home including condos, from being taken for private business. AARP has issued support statements for Prop 99. A last word on politics, there is still time to write or call and defend the state budget for adult protective services. The proposed 10% cut would leave many older adults unprotected by this important department.