Posted on 09/30/2009 12:00:35 AM PDT by CounterCounterCulture
California's redevelopment agencies have won a major victory in their battle to keep the state from grabbing hundreds of millions of tax dollars.
Now a second legal skirmish looms that could blow a huge hole in the fragile state budget if the agencies win — or jeopardize everything from street repairs to major urban renewal projects if they lose.
Last week, state officials dropped an appeal of a judge's ruling that their 2008 seizure of $350 million from the agencies — including $13 million from San Jose — was illegal.
A Sacramento Superior Court judge decided that the deficit-stricken state's argument for raiding agencies across California — that it needed the money to help fund K-12 education — violated constitutional provisions that earmark redevelopment money only for redevelopment projects.
Round two has already begun. To help close a $24.1 billion budget deficit, state officials this summer approved legislation that would drain $2.05 billion from those same agencies.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
The rats are turning on each other.
Kleptofornia.
Bwaaaaahaaahaaaahaaaaaa! I love it! Thieves fighting over stolen money....
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