California Group Wins for Accountable Government...And Stays Together To Do More
Steve Sherman of Gardena, California has three tips for anyone who might be considering standing up to their local politicians in the face of an unpopular decision: Raise money early, go to every city council meeting, and never miss a deadline. "When you're campaigning against people in power, they're not all that eager to extend the due dates for written arguments or analyses," says Sherman. "They're banking that they'll catch you on a technicality."
Sherman speaks from experience as the co-chairman of a group called NoGRAB, otherwise known as "No Gardena Redevelopment Agency Boondoggle." In 2004, NoGRAB campaigned successfully against a city council ordinance that would have forced local home and business owners to sell their property and move elsewhere in order to make way for a new, government-planned development. The displaced landowners would have had no say in how the agency would have redeveloped their communities, or how much money the city would pay them for their property.
The city council claimed that the redevelopment agency would have planned a "clean and safe" Gardena, but it would have done so at the expense of people like Sharon Tachibana, whose family has owned Pacific Nursery for over 50 years. Tachibana's business-as well as many of the other properties marked for condemnation-was by no means dilapidated, but it had the misfortune of sitting on land that the city council felt would bring in more tax revenue were it owned by a private developer.
It was a classic case of property rights abuse by a local government, compounded by the creation of a new bureaucracy that would have had the power to spend taxpayers' money with impunity. A group of people including Sherman, a former Gardena mayor, a former city councilwoman, and other concerned citizens formed NoGRAB to counter these abuses of the public trust. Shortly after being formed, the group moved quickly to take advantage of the protections that state law afforded them.
In California, cities can pass ordinances without a vote of the people, however, voters have 30 days after the decision to collect signatures to voice their disapproval. NoGRAB was instrumental in collecting over 3,000 signatures and demanding that the council either rescind the redevelopment agency's mandate, or put it to a vote. The council decided to put the question to the people in the form of Measure G.
"The council members were so sure of themselves and their decision," says Sherman, "that not only did they not rescind the ordinance, but they appointed themselves as the head of the agency, and began a feasibility study that included properties throughout the city."
The council's actions actually worked in NoGRAB's favor, as their map spelled out exactly which properties would be marked for condemnation. "People became convinced that the redevelopment agency was a genuine threat to their neighborhoods-or even their own homes," Sherman says.
The threat of condemnation mobilized many citizens, but it was NoGRAB's communications strategy that really spread the word. NoGRAB made flyers, sent mail, issued press releases, posted yard signs and made its presence known at every city council meeting. Members also wrote letters to the editor, guest editorials and even produced a television spot that aired on the local cable access channel.
By a margin of 2:1, the voters defeated Measure G and stopped the council's plans. Whereas most city council members supported the formation of the redevelopment prior to the vote, even its most strident supporters now say that they would vote against it.
NoGRAB continues to exist, and its members meet every Sunday before a city council meeting. Although it continues to keep a watchful eye on Gardena's politicians, the group has expanded its mission to advocate more responsible government planning policies both in California and in the country at large.
"We won in 2004, and we're reasonably sure that we will succeed in our larger mission," says Sherman. "The city has become smarter now that they've seen how voters are actually watching what they do, and they may try to introduce this bad idea again." For now, though, the people of Gardena, California have won, and have heightened awareness of what a group of citizens can do to hold their local government accountable.
Visit NoGRAB online at nograb.org.
Download the NoGRAB mailer (PDF) to see how the group communicated its message.
