Kehoe and Brown: Grantville's Accidental Allies

By Brian T. Peterson, Birdland

E-MAIL STORY

Friday, Oct. 3, 2008 | First, those of us at the Grantville Action Group were not looking for or expecting any help from Sen. Christine Kehoe or Attorney General Jerry Brown. Even after she wrote her letter, we did not expect Brown to get involved on our side. We knew that, until the end, this ball would be ours to carry.

That said, we were pleasantly surprised that his response to the $31.4 million transfer from Grantville to the C Street Trolley improvement actually helped to bolster our lawsuit.

Brown's response [that the settlement wasn't illegal] agrees with what we know of redevelopment law. It is unchallengeable. The city concluded that the C Street Trolley is a Grantville benefit, and cannot be questioned in court. Someday the Supreme Court may have to address it.

That the $31.4 million travels to the San Diego County Administration Building is the facet of the agreement we believe exploits a loophole, which the Attorney General says is "technically permissible." GAG and the Attorney General question whether this carries out the Legislature's intent.

As stated and restated at the public hearing on this issue, the Grantville settlement does not pass the "stink test." It certainly has the odor of the "let-'em-sue" mentality that's created so much trouble for the city in the past eight years.

6 Comments so far on this story...

Never mind the so-called "stink test," Dr. Peterson. This unbelievably brazen transfer of redev money from one part of town to a completely different part of town, miles away, doesn't pass the "common sense" or "credibility" or "best use of taxpayer funds" tests. The shaky logic that underlies this proposal is actually kind of breathtaking, but in a negative way. So, good luck with your litigation!

Posted by Robert E. Lee | reply to this comment
October 3, 2008 6:22 am

The entire Grantville saga is a cautionary tale. If they get away with what they are doing in Grantville, particularly the money laundering, all redevelopment areas can give a big good-bye kiss to whatever promises are made to them. Your redevelopment cash will be up for grabs to fund pet projects anywhere by whoever and whatever else they decide is connected your community. Connections can be the trolley, bike paths, roads, maybe even air. They don't have to prove anything. The city council just saying it is so makes it so, whether it makes sense or not. No proof required. The city will be emboldened to transfer money on a whim. We need to put a stop to this! Join the fight for right! Go to link and make a pledge (the pledge levels are amusing). And vote for real change and neighborhood support. Vote for Whitburn, Emerald, & Lightner.

Posted by Linda J. Wilson | reply to this comment
October 3, 2008 9:14 am

The City Counsel Czar---It's amazing how they keep taking more and more power on themselves, and no one inside is standing up to them. They are able to skirt the legality issue (so far), but as much as they are making themselves the unstoppable authority, it will eventually get too brazen and the news will take notice, then the investigators will focus on them. That will finally lead to the truth of what they are doing behind closed doors. Developers are getting ANYTHING they want. For example: even though we don't have enough water for those that live here, they are allowed unrestrained building of more apartment / condo communities.

Posted by Mark | reply to this comment
October 3, 2008 9:49 am

Stephen Whitburn and Marti Emerald have both come out against this settlement. Their opponents have done nothing. So if you live in the 3rd District, vote for Stephen Whitburn, and if you live in the 7th (which includes Grantville) vote for Marti Emerald.

Posted by Fred Williams | reply to this comment
October 3, 2008 10:22 am

Fortunately, the Grantville Action Group link is right now suing to protect the community. I've given them my support, and hope that other San Diegans who are outraged at this deal will get behind the effort to overturn this bad deal. Today it's Grantville. Tomorrow it could be your community. Please be generous.

Posted by Fred Williams | reply to this comment
October 3, 2008 10:10 am

Read the letters-How LONG til the Rest of San Diego gets a 'clue?' Developers are the Only Entities who 'Benefit' from Redevelopment-siphon off All Property Taxes from State & City! While creating more 'service & facility Need' from the 'new density of persons, created!' So the 'Rest of San Diegans' & 'Californians'(not IN Redevelopment areas) are actually Paying For all the 'existing and new Public facilities and services' DEMANDED from this 'new population!' They Don't Pay for it themselves-it Is Siphoned-Off into the Redevelopment Agency's 'Pot of Gold', reserved for Politicians (via payback contributions?) and Developer Friends, getting: Cheap loans for building; Free land (past private/City Real Estate Assets) to build-more: 'taxable property' that for the past 25+ YEARS (state law says 12 yrs. is 'tops'), has Never Gone Back to the City's or State's General Fund! STOP REDEVEOPMENT ABUSE!

Posted by Wide Awake | reply to this comment
October 3, 2008 11:14 am

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