Mayor Jerry Sanders uses the word "extortion" to describe redevelopment bill

See also Redevelopment Midnight Deal.

Redevelopment bill passes, threatens local funding
Downtown effort could lose $50 million
By Roger Showley
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
June 15, 2011 http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Downtown's continued redevelopment could come to halt if the Legislature's measure passed June 15 goes into effect, shifting much of the downtown property tax base to local schools...

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders called the votes "an extortion attempt" in the face of attempts by pro-redevelopment cities to work out a compromise that would have yielded funds for the state without killing redevelopment programs.

However, private property rights advocates who make up a coalition called "Stop the Money Pit," hailed the Legislature's action, although it promised "much work to do" in ending redevelopment because of the school-funding option that passed.

The measure was passed after months of consideration of an alternate reform sought by Gov. Jerry Brown, who proposed to dissolve the state's roughly 400 redevelopment agencies.

That measure, not passed by either the Assembly or Senate, would have shifted the redevelopment money to schools, cities, counties and special districts after taking into account existing debt obligations and other contracts.

Brown also hoped the measure would shift $1.7 billion to help close the state's budget gap, now standing at about $10 billion...