The California Constitution states in Article 1, Section 7B:  "A citizen or class of citizens may not be granted privileges or immunities not granted on the same terms to all citizens."

Yet, we have a 22 year old law in California, known as Costa-Hawkins, which violates this basic tenet of equality.  Costa-Hawkins allows cities to grant rent control privileges to some tenants and not others.  It also gives immunity from rent control to some property owners and not others.  Costa-Hawkins was paid for, and kept in place, by large, corporate rental owners through generous campaign donations.  It allows them to charge ever-higher market rents to their tenants while at the same time economically squashing their smaller mom & pop landlord competitors through local rent control.

It is time to repeal Costa-Hawkins and replace it with a law which REQUIRES cities to apply rent controls equally and fairly to ALL rental properties regardless of property size, year built - or campaign contributions made.

Tenants and small property owners can unite and fight for a common cause to create a fair and equal market place in the rental market.   If the legislature won't act, we shall create a voter referendum to carry out the will of the people, demanding fair and equal treatment of all tenants and property owners.