Out of Ashes of Prop 98’s Defeat, a Statewide Tenants Movement EmergesRandy Shawbyline‚ Jun. 04‚ 2008When tenant activists learned that Proposition 98 had qualified for the expected low-turnout June 2008 ballot, many feared that rent control would not survive. Although a statewide ballot initiative to abolish rent control was handily defeated in 1980, as was a later effort to prohibit mobile home rent controls, insecurity about tenants’ statewide political clout persisted. Prop 98’s landslide defeat puts such doubts to rest. In a campaign that became primarily framed by voter attitudes toward rent control, Prop 98 was resoundingly defeated by over a 60-40% margin (75% voted no in San Francisco). The question now is whether tenant advocates can build on this success by creating a powerful movement that can win victories for tenants through the State Legislature and statewide ballot measures. |