Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger saying No bills will get signed until there is a budget is necessary, but not sufficient. Governor Schwarzenegger should simply say NO to bad legislation - at any time, period.

In a scathing op-ed piece titled California Association of Realtors: Pick a Lane! Donie Vanitzian, co-author of the Los Angeles Times' Associations column, blasts Gary Quackenbush and the California Association of Realtors (CAR) for their support of Assembly Bill 2259, which she characterizes as "a farce, a contradiction in both terms and alliances", then goes on to describe how she put CAR, Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa, and Congressman Rosendahl's on notice about the problems with A 2259. "Remarkably, Assembly Bill 2259 now contradicts provisions written into Assembly Bill 980 sponsored by none other than, the California Association of Realtors" Vanitizian writes.

Vanitzian then concludes that "CAR and the California legislature want it both ways", indicating that CAR and the legislature want to "decide whether or not a homeowners association can amend, rewrite, and restate covenants, conditions, and restrictions as it relates to renters and rental property." That the only reason this piece of legislation is now getting attention is "because of the housing crunch", and that "just as CAR appeared to have failed in performing the vital due diligence in pushing Assembly Bill 980, so too, they failed to perform the proper due diligence with Assembly Bill 2259. The difference this time? I refuse to tip them off as to what conflicts exist." She writes.

Never mind that the Orange County BoS want to obsolete common interest developments (as in getting rid of the "islands in the county"

Never mind that AB2259 is a classic example of the Bigger Government paradigm we are now all too familiar with: Assembly Bill 2259 establishes a California Building
Rehabilitation Code Advisory Council ("Council") to advise
the advisory panels of the State Building Standards
Commission on the possible adoption of state building
rehabilitation guidelines.

Specifically, this bill: Establishes the Council with an unspecified number of
members, all appointed by the director of the Commission.
Members shall include, but not be limited to
representatives from the following organizations:

* California Building Standards Commission;
* Department of Housing and Community Development;
* Division of the State Architect;
* Office of the State Fire Marshal;
* California Energy Commission;
* League of California Cities;
* California State Association of Counties;
* California Building Industry Association;
* Building Owners and Managers Association;
* County Building Officials Association of California;
* California Building Officials;
* American Institute of Architects California Council;
* California Apartment Association;
* Structural Engineers Association of California;
* Concrete Masonry Association of California and Nevada;
* California Hotel and Motel Association;
* Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California;
* California Business Properties Association; and,
* California Association of Realtors.

And directs the Council to make recommendations and yada, yada, yada....................

We have asked CAR to comment on Vanitzian's op-ed piece, but have not heard from them.

* This is the California Legislature
* This is your wallet
* Any Questions?

Where can I find a copy of
AB 2259? I am interested in reading the full text. I am a homeowner in a 55+ community in Southern California.

Here is a link to the chapetered version of the bill.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab_2251-2300/ab_2259_bill_20080814_enrolled.pdf