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A proposed ballot initiative to curtail Mountain View’s rent control law won’t be going on the November ballot — but it’s far from dead.
Organizers for the Measure V Too Costly campaign confirmed they are abandoning plans for a November ballot initiative. However, campaign spokeswoman Laura Teutschel said her group intends to continue collecting signatures to put the measure before voters for the 2020 election.
In recent weeks, supporters of Measure V Too Costly and a team of paid signature-gatherers have been canvassing Mountain View to get people to sign a petition for the measure, “The Mountain View Homeowner, Renter, and Taxpayer Protection Initiative.” They needed to collect at least 5,150 valid signatures of local voters, which city staff urged them to submit by June 5.
That date passed, and then weeks went by with no word on whether the measure would go forward. After two weeks of waiting, City Clerk Lisa Natusch expressed doubt last month that the measure could still be processed in time for the deadline to get it on the November ballot.
Teutschel declined to say how many signatures her campaign had accumulated. Other news outlets reported that she said her team was short hundreds of names. Any signatures that have been collected could be applied toward a 2020 ballot measure.
The signature-gathering effort spawned numerous complaints about misleading information tricking petition signers into thinking they were strengthening or expanding Mountain View’s rent control law. In fact, the proposed initiative included language that, if approved, would almost certainly suspend the existing rent control and eviction protections that were approved by voters in 2016.
“Any signatures that have been collected could be applied toward a 2020 ballot measure.” Is this right? They might not even still be residents. That seems unreasonably long to assume signatures are still valid.
There is always a campaign against rent controls, never ending and always successful. Six thousand years of price controls eliminated proves the point. But first graduate from high school where economics is a required course and then forgotten by the majority (two thirds). Meanwhile, the march of old apartment houses into much need denser development.
George Drysdale social studies teacher and land economist
The real question now is whether the opportunistic politicians that represent the political elite here in Mountain View (Margaret Abe-Koga, John Inks, and Mike Kasperzak) will be punished at the ballot box by voters for tying their fortunes to this sneaky power-grab by the landlords. They thought they could buy the election, but the voters hold the real power.
“Distasteful or not, this rent control is an absolute disaster and is not helping people as it promised it would.”
Because people like you are doing to everything possible NOT to obey the law.
“It needs to be repealed.”
Why? Because you say so? Or because you want *only* certain people to live in Mountain View?
In response to mvresident2003 you said:
“Did you find the misinformation campaign when Measure V was on the ballot to be distasteful as well?”
We would if there was blatant deception involved. The CSFRA was approved given the accurate information provided by the parties involved. There was no attempt to mislead the public ever. The limitations of the CSFRA was publically known. You seem to try to use the same reasoning as Donald Trump regarding the recent indictments against the Russian Intelligence attacks. Instead of addressing the deception acted on by the current measure, you attempt to distract the public regarding the current conduct. You also said:
“Distasteful or not, this rent control is an absolute disaster and is not helping people as it promised it would. It needs to be repealed.”
NO, it should be enhanced, and when Costa Hawkins is repealed it will be. Imagine that all apartments and rentals in Mountain View will have their rents rolled back to October 2015 and controlled. Imagine the rental refunds that the landlords will have to pay.
As far as the comment made by Gary he said:
“The proponents of the petition may circulate it for a total of 180 days and then turn in all petitions sections at once.”
OK the initiative was filed on:
“The political action group Measure V Too Costly filed paperwork on Friday, March 30, for a November ballot initiative that would heavily modify Mountain View’s rent control program. The proposal, dubbed the “Mountain View Homeowner, Renter, and Taxpayer Protection Initiative,” seeks to curtail most limits on rent increases and create income eligibility requirements for tenants.”( https://www.mv-voice.com/print/story/2018/04/06/rent-control-foes-launch-initiative-campaign)
Thus if the signatures are not deleivered by:
Want to figure out the date that is exactly one hundred and eighty days from Mar 30, 2018 without counting?
Your starting date is March 30, 2018 so that means that 180 days later would be September 26, 2018.”
Thus if the signatures are not delivered by September 26, 2018, the initiative dies. The fact that the Costa Hawkins repeal is a current ballot proposition, is there any people in Mountain View willing to cut off their own rights as proposed by the initiative signed by John Inks? I do not think it is likely.
@mvresident2003
Without the rent control law, the exodus of people who can’t afford the rent would have been far far worse and the land lords would have raised the rent much much higher to insane amount like what you see today in certain places where the rent for 1BR is 4,000 and more. As a long time resident, my rent was stabilized and it didn’t go up more than few % and it worked well for people like me. And I even got a decent refund of the excess rent I paid and in my specific case, I also stopped getting an extra invoice for the water and Utilities.
hi … if you were duped into signing the recent petition to eliminate rent control in mountain view, please file a complaint with the california elections bureau … it is easy and takes just a couple of minutes and can be done on-line … if you were lied to in any way to get you to sign the petition, please file a complaint … here are the details:
Voter Complaint Form below:
http://elections.cdn.sos.ca. gov/fraud-complaints/pdfs/ english-voter-fraud-complaint- form.pdf
Voter complaint hotline:
Secretary of State’s Elections Division, please call (916) 657-2166
Having lived in MV for 10 years, Measure V has been the single most important decision made. Every single one of the new friends I’ve met here agree, voted for it, and are able to continue to build strong roots in our community.
I’m always somewhat surprised when i see comments against it…
Had to look up definition in Webster’s to see what Disaster looks like, ‘an event or fact that has unfortunate consequences.’
I’ve only experienced fortunate consequences, as have my fellow neighbors, so, perhaps we have different points of view, vs definitions.
> Six thousand years of price controls eliminated proves the point
Lol. Wow, i did not know the pharoahs used price controls.
Please cite your sources. Maybe there is some biblical reference you could use. “and on the eighth day, God spoketh and declared ‘rent control is satanic'”….
By 2020 the issues will likely be far grander for MV’s CSFRA debacle. Costa-Hawkins (Measure 10 on the November ballot) will have been repealed, the RHC will have adopted an amendment to Measure V to include all housing units; SFR, duplex, triplex and beyond. A lawsuit by landlords will ensue claiming the RHC hasn’t the power, authority or jurisdiction to amend a City Charter. Trailer parks will be included under CSFRA following the lawsuit currently pending. MV Planning will be looking at layoffs, building inspectors will be looking at layoffs as new construction constricts to projects currently in the pipeline, a moratorium issued by the city council on redeveloping ’60’s era apartment buildings will further strangle the rental market.
Fait accompli as the suppressed greedy landlords are finally handed their destiny; providing subsidized public housing for the masses garnering a meager 0-3% annual return on their investment.
Well, here is another bit of information ICYMBI:
This report found here (http://www.globest.com/2018/07/16/a-costa-hawkins-repeal-is-imminent/) from Globest.com:
“If rent control is expanded in markets like Orange County, IT WON’T MEAN THE END OF MULTIFAMILY INVESTMENT. GIANNOLA SAYS THAT IT WILL MERELY MEAN AN ADJUSTMENT IN INVESTMENT STRATEGY—WHICH COULD MEAN A BRIEF PAUSE AS THE MARKET ADJUSTS. With strong fundamentals and healthy demand, however, ORANGE COUNTY WILL CONTINUE TO BE A POPULAR MULTIFAMILY INVESTMENT MARKET, WHETHER OR NOT COSTA HAWKINS IS REPEALED. “Orange County is a fantastic market and has been for many years,” says Giannola. “I think that it is possible once Costa Hawkins is repealed that things will change. IT IS GOING TO CHANGE THINGS FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, AND THERE WILL BE SOME SHOCK. Rent control is in major cities, and there are a lot of components that people are not educated on yet. It is going to be a very interesting ride in the next five to seven years in Orange County.”
This is what people like myself have been saying all along. “Rent-Control” is not going to do what the critics have said. The Apartment Industry will adjust and in fact still make money. The only problem is that those who currently take advantage of Costa Hawkins and no Rent Control are going to find themselves out-competed out of the market.
Isn’t that so “Successful” Businessman?
The proponents of the petition may circulate it for a total of 180 days and then turn in all petitions sections at once. If the petition has the signatures of at least 15% of registered voters (as of the last prior official count), then it would qualify for the March 2020 presidential primary ballot, I believe. So persons objecting to the collection of signatures should keep objecting – including through flyers distributed to doorsteps.
As far as I’m concerned, even as someone who is currently renting out one home while I live in another, I am glad this effort failed to qualify for the ballot. The reason is that it was presented dishonestly, at least to me on several occasions outside the Safeway on Shoreline. The person collecting signatures presented it as supporting rent control, and was initially somewhat resistant to me reading the proposition. When I did, it was clear that it was designed to weaken rent control. Even if I favored reversing the rent control ordinance, I would find this outright misrepresentation to be distasteful.
Did you find the misinformation campaign when Measure V was on the ballot to be distasteful as well?
Distasteful or not, this rent control is an absolute disaster and is not helping people as it promised it would. It needs to be repealed.
On Sunday the California Democratic Party endorsed the Proposition 10, the Costa Hawkins Repeal initiative called the “Affordable Housing Act”. This was passed by a margin of 90% of the voting members at 95% of the potential vote as described in this article (https://sf.curbed.com/2018/7/16/17576018/california-democratic-party-endorsement-prop-10-costa-hawkins-repeal)
Given that the state legislature consists of 27 Democrats and 13 Republicans in the state senate and 55 Democrats and 25 Republicans in the Assembly. If one were to take the 90% level. Then 90% of 27 Democrats in the state senate would be 24 Democrats out of 40 Senate seats. Then 90% of 55 Democrats is 49 out of 80 Assembly. Thus 4 more Senate votes needed to pass, and 9 more Assembly votes are needed to pass a Costa Hawkins Repeal in legislation.
WOW!
FYI:
Del Medio Apartments lost their rent increase petition significantly. I was sent a copy of the decision. It is public record as well.
The decision was that they were entitled to only a $6.00 rent increase. Far below the AGA they could have gotten instead.
WOW
It was less than 25 years ago. Nevertheless, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” — George Santayana
In response to The Successful Businessman you said:
“It was less than 25 years ago. Nevertheless, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” — George Santayana”
Yes, less than 25 years ago, Costa Hawkins was sold as the solution to the affordable housing crisis.
It failed.
We are NOT GOING TO REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKE AGAIN.