Campaign Launched to Save Rent Control

The San Francisco Tenants Union, the Sierra Club, Senior Action Network, the Central Labor Council and others were all on hand yesterday to join the effort to kick off a statewide campaign. And to their credit, Assemblyman Mark Leno and Senator Carole Migden were both there – to stress the need for a united front.

“We’re here to expose this extremely dangerous ‘Hidden Agenda Scheme,’” said Mark Leno, “by a small group of landlords who want you believe that this is about eminent domain. Besides repealing rent control, it would endanger laws that protect our water and our environment. An uncommonly broad coalition will come together to ensure its defeat – just like we defeated Prop 90 last year.”

While Prop 90 went down last November, the right-wing proponents who are behind this new measure are planning to spend even more money to confuse voters. According to Leno, they are most likely to qualify enough signatures to place it on the June ballot – and plan to spend $15-20 million to run television commercials. Californians throughout the political spectrum will have to set aside their policy disagreements to defeat it, and to kill it decisively. And it won’t be an easy task.

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