SACRAMENTO – Assemblywoman Beth Gaines, R—Roseville, today voted to protect private property rights by voting to eliminate California’s redevelopment agencies, which are the top source of eminent domain seizures in the state and according to nonpartisan fiscal analysts, don’t help create more jobs.

“At a time when families are struggling to make ends meet and local governments and school districts are cutting any remaining fat from their already skeletal budgets, we as a Legislature should be looking at each and every possible area to cut costs in order to balance our budget and get our state’s economy back on track,” Gaines said. “Redevelopment agencies were first created to clean up blight and improve infrastructure, and while some have completed very successful projects in their communities, unfortunately today, many use these state-subsidies as slush funds to seize private property through eminent domain and supplement other general fund expenditures, with little accountability to taxpayers.”

Gaines voted in support of Assembly Bills 26x and 27x, which call for the abolishment of Redevelopment Agencies, or RDA’s, in California. The measures passed 52 to 21.

According to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, redevelopment agencies don’t help to create any new jobs, but rather, “any gains in the project areas are offset by losses in other parts of the region.” Gaines added that taxpayers in Northern California fund redevelopment agencies throughout the state, even if an agency does not exist in their community.

“During these tough economic times, state-subsidized redevelopment schemes are diverting money from vital services like education and police and fire protection,” Gaines said.

Gaines’ vote took place during a marathon budget session in the Assembly, where the Legislature is constitutionally obligated to pass a budget by midnight today. Gaines also voted no on several budget bills to increase taxes, including the vehicle license fee and state sales tax.

“Californians deserve a responsible, balanced budget, not a temporary fix to our ongoing fiscal problem that pushes our gaping deficit onto future generations,” Gaines said. “Now is absolutely the wrong time to increase taxes and it’s time we get serious and make the difficult, but necessary structural reforms our state desperately needs so we can stop the abusive budget practices that continue to plague our state year after year.”

Assemblywoman Beth Gaines represents the 4th Assembly District, which includes portions of Placer, El Dorado, Sacramento and Alpine counties.

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