New PPIC Survey: Voters Inclined to Reject Prop. 98 and Support Prop. 99

Voters Not Fooled by Landlords' Hidden Agendas Scheme to Abolish Renter Protections and Rent Control

A new survey of California likely voters released March 26 by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) found that 41% of likely voters would vote "No" on Proposition 98, while only 37% would vote "Yes". On the other hand, by a two-to-one margin (53-27), voters were inclined to support Prop. 99. Both measures are on the June 3 ballot.

Prop. 98 is funded almost exclusively by apartment and mobile home park landlords using the eminent domain issue as a Trojan Horse to eliminate renter protections and rent control. Prop. 99 reforms eminent domain to prevent government from taking homes for transfer to a private party.

"Clearly, California voters are not being fooled by the landlords' deceptive scheme," said Dean Preston, Co-Chair, Coalition to Protect California Renters. "Voters are capable of sorting out the real eminent domain reform from the phony reform. If the landlords think they are going to trick voters into abolishing rent control and renter protections, they've got another thing coming. Voters are not so easily fooled by the landlords' hidden agenda."

Prop. 98 would deliver a devastating one-two punch against renters and mobile homeowners. First, Prop. 98 eliminates important renter protections like laws protecting renters against unfair evictions. Second, Prop. 98 eliminates rent control. Since the renter protections will be outlawed, landlords will be able to kick out tenants for no good reason. After the unit is vacated, rent control is lifted and landlords will be able to raise rents as high as they want. Prop. 98 also eliminates renter protections like laws requiring the fair return of rental deposits.

The problems with Prop. 98 don't stop with abolishing renter protections. Hidden provisions also gut environmental protections, jeopardize future water projects needed to improve quality and enhance supply, and would result in frivolous lawsuits, higher taxpayer costs, and hurt our economy.

"The PPIC survey shows voters clearly want honest eminent domain reform, and they recognize that Prop. 99 is the most responsible way to reform eminent domain without the hidden agendas and adverse consequences of Prop. 98," said Nan Brasmer, President, California Alliance for Retired Americans.

Larry Gross, Executive Director, Coalition for Economic Survival stated, "While the polling numbers are encouraging, it is no time to rest on our laurels. These results should provide added incentive to the overwhelming number of organizations and unions, tenants, seniors, disabled, working families and homeowners involved in this campaign to work even harder to defeat 98 and pass 99!"

Proposition 98 is opposed by leading California organizations like the AARP, League of Women Voters of California, the Coalition to Protect California Renters, Coalition for Economic Survival, Golden State Manufactured-Home Owners League, Inc. (GSMOL), California Professional Firefighters, SEIU, AFSCME, California Alliance for Retired Americans, California Teachers Association, California Police Chiefs Association, California Chamber of Commerce and dozens of others.

What The Poll Reveals

Californians want to rein in the government in its eminent domain powers, according to a statewide survey by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.

And with two seemingly similar eminent domain propositions on the June ballot, voters apparently are parsing the differences, the survey says.

In general, Propositions 98 and 99 would limit the government's power of eminent domain.

The PPIC survey says 71 percent of likely voters believe this power needs major (38 percent) or minor (33 percent) changes, but they are much more in favor of Proposition 99 to do that job.

One reason may be that besides blocking state and local government from taking private property to transfer it to another private party, Proposition 98 also prohibits rent control.

And 53 percent of likely voters believe that rent control is a good thing (39 percent think it's bad).

Proposition 98's rent control limit may help explain why only 37 percent of likely voters would give it a yes vote (41 percent would vote no), the PPIC survey says.

In contrast, at least half of likely voters (53 percent) would vote yes on Proposition 99, which confines itself to barring government from taking an owner-occupied home to transfer the property to another private party.

Republicans (45 percent) are more likely than Democrats (29 percent) and independents (36 percent) to favor Proposition 98, but they are also even more likely to support Proposition 99 (Republicans, 58 percent; Democrats and independents, 50 percent each).

The PPIC survey was funded by the James Irvine Foundation. Findings are based on a telephone survey of 2,002 California adult residents interviewed between March 11 and 18. Interviews were conducted in English or Spanish. The sampling error for the total sample is +/- 2 percent and for the 1,077 likely voters is +/- 3 percent.

PPIC describes itself as "a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to informing and improving public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research on major economic, social, and political issues. The institute was established in 1994 with an endowment from William R. Hewlett."

To view the entire PPIC poll, please download it from the link below: