Special investigator to probe anti-rent-control petition complaints in Santa Rosa

Special investigator to probe anti-rent-control petition complaints in Santa Rosa

By Lynda Carson - September 19, 2016

A special investigator will be hired by the City of Santa Rosa to look into complaints by residents who claim they were tricked and misled by signature gatherers trying to get rent control and just cause eviction protections overturned in the city. District Attorney Jill Ravitch declined to investigate the 93 complaints made with the city by residents complaining that they were misled by signature gatherers, and city officials decided to conduct their own investigation, according to the Press Democrat.

According to reports, the residents are complaining that the signature gatherers are falsely claiming that the anti-rent control petition supports renter protections in Santa Rosa, and that they were tricked into signing it.

Recently on September 9, the Press Democrat wrote an article telling residents to make their complaints with the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office or the Secretary of State’s Office. After the article went to print, District Attorney Ravich claimed that her office does not field complaints of election fraud, according to the Press Democrat. The city decided to run it's own investigation.

The California Apartment Association (CAA) has been meddling in the affairs of Santa Rosa and has done everything possible to block rent control and just cause eviction protections from taking effect in the city.

Mounting documentation reveals that 28 year old Mallori Spilker of Guerneville, an employee of the CAA, and the CAA may be backing the anti-rent control petition in Santa Rosa. The same petition that people are complaining about for being misled, and tricked into signing by petition gatherers who are claiming that the petition supports renter protections.

What is happening in Santa Rosa appears to very similar to what happened in Richmond when the CAA and big money blocked renter protections from taking effect in that city.

Presently, the California Apartment Association (CAA) is running attack ads against the renter protection ballot measures in the cities of Richmond, Alameda, Mountain View, San Mateo and Burlingame.

Campaign contributions have been pouring in to help the CAA finance it’s campaign against the renters’ movement in California. The big money has a corrupting influence in financing political campaigns.

The political ads highlight the problems of big money trying to hijack renter protections, and influencing the outcome of ballot measures offering the public an opportunity to vote against a corrupt system that allows greedy landlords and slumlords to engage in price gouging, and the eviction-for-profit system.

Among the many apartment owners giving huge political contributions to the California Apartment Association’s Issues Committee that may be used to fight against rent control ballot measures in the Bay Area, the Sares Regis Group gave $60,000 to the CAA on 3/28/2016, and $6,290 on 1/28/2015, including many other additional campaign contributions. It’s affiliate Sares Regis Group of Northern California (SRGNC) gave $20,000 to the CAA on 4/4/2016. Mark R. Kroll of SRGNC is listed as the agent for service of process for SRGNC MF, LLC, according to the Secretary of State.

As part of the National Renters’ Day of Action, on September 22, there will be a rally in support of renter’s rights in Oakland and cities across the nation. Organizers have planned a day of action for renters in 46 cities on September 22, including some days near September 22 to fight back, and demand a freeze on all unjust evictions and rent increases.

In Alameda renters will have a day of action on September 20 — 10:00AM, at 470 Central Ave, one day before the 60-day deadline of no-cause evictions take effect being conducted by Matt Sridhar and Sridhar Equities.

The renters’ day of action will take place a week after Richmond Mayor Tom Butt, and Councilmembers Nathaniel Bates and Vinay Pimplé blocked a proposed 45-day urgency moratorium on rent increases and no-cause evictions, that was proposed by Councilwoman Gayle McLaughlin, and supported by Councilmembers Jovanka Beckles, Eduardo Martinez, and Jael Myrick.

Renter protections will be on the ballot in 6 cities during November in the Bay Area. No matter how hard the landlords and the California Apartment Association are trying to stop the renters movement, tenant advocates across the Bay Area are urging renters to vote on strong renter protections during the upcoming November elections in the cities of Richmond, Oakland, Alameda, Burlingame, San Mateo, and Mountain View. The activists are urging people to vote “no” against any weak proposals placed on the ballot by the City Council in Alameda, and Mountain View.

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com

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