VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 90

From my friends at Defenders of Wildlife

Dear Diane,

Out-of-state property rights extremists are trying to fool Californians into passing Proposition 90 -- a taxpayer trap that threatens to bankrupt our communities and literally change our state’s landscape.Prop 90 would hand the fate of our treasured wildlife over to greedy developers -- and stick California taxpayers like you and me with billions of dollars in payments to land speculators and developers. Prop 90 is one of the worst environmental measures in state history.

The wealthy developers behind this taxpayer trap are selling it to the public as "eminent domain reform" that will "protect our homes." In reality, its extreme provisions would require local taxpayers to pay for the "right" to pass and enforce laws that protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the wildlife we cherish. Here’s how Prop 90 works: It would allow wealthy developers, corporations, and other special interests to demand huge payouts from local taxpayers for alleged harm caused by laws that protect our water, air or wildlife -- no matter how far-fetched the claim.

Prop 90 would cost taxpayers in California billions of dollars per year, according to a former California legislative analyst. Prop 90’s "pay to protect" provisions would prevent communities from adopting laws that protect wildlife and preserve our quality of life. These requirements would also mean less money for important priorities like environmental protection, education, police and fire services.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 Prop 90.

In 2004 the people behind Prop 90 passed a similar initiative in Oregon. In less than two years, wealthy developers in that state have filed over 2200 claims demanding over $5 billion in compensation from local taxpayers. Oregon communities can no longer regulate growth and development in a way that protects their way of life -- and urban sprawl now threatens Oregon’s precious wildlife habitat, farmlands and open spaces.

We cannot allow these out-of-state extremists do the same to California. Dont let others be fooled by this Trojan horse. Help us defeat Prop 90 by spreading the word! Out-of-state extremists are spending millions of dollars to pass Prop 90. Defeating Prop 90 won’t be easy, and we need all the help we can get. Vote "NO" on Proposition 90 and tell others to do the same.

Sincerely,
Kim Delfino
California Program Director
Defenders of Wildlife