Clarifying the Lead

Today's Audet editorial in the coast news starts,

Encinitas residents who fear that a City Council super-majority could increase density without a vote of the people packed City Hall during a council meeting to discuss filling the vacant seat held by Maggie Houlihan, who passed away after battling cancer. 

Houlihan was the top vote getter in 2004 and 2008. Whoever fills her seat will cast votes affecting the residents who voted for her. 

In packed chambers, residents told the council that Houlihan’s seat should be filled by a person who will stand up for Houlihan’s positions to protect property rights, preserve community character and heed her warning against a council super-majority that could change zoning without a vote of the people.

 Read more: Coast News Group - Houlihan replacement process has prospect of council super majority

Upzoning is the granting of NEW development rights. The NEW development rights are often subsidized directly and indirectly by the taxpayer, in San Diego County.  Upzoning often results in a huge windfall for land speculators (often campaign contributors), because of the value of changes to lines and colors on a zoning map (rather than innovation and efficient productivity). The subsidies are glossed over and often ignored or twisted in with government sponsored "environmental" advocacy (ie propaganda).


Currently, upzoning can not be done WITHOUT a super-majority vote of the people. Only Barth has gone on record saying that upzoning should go to the vote of the people, implying a super majority council vote has not been enough to ensure good and fair upzoning practices.

List of decaying and devaluing cities and counties that require a vote of the people for upzoning:

Alameda
Burbank
Camarillo
Chino Hills
Danville
Davis
El Dorado County
Escondido
Huntington Beach
Imperial Beach
Livermore
Loma Linda
Malibu
Mission Viejo
Modesto
Monterey
Newport Beach
Oxnard
Palo Alto
Redondo Beach

San Jose
Santa Paula
Sierra Madre
Simi Valley
Solana Beach
Thousand Oaks
Tracy
Ventura
Yorba Linda

See Also: Presidents support empowering the voters.