Long Beach redevelopment advocates fight budget cuts with ad campaign

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Seaside Park in Long Beach was once a drug infested area... but the city was able to use redevelopment funds to make a difference.

"We had a lot of people up in arms about what was going on in the area," says Kristine Guerrero of the League of California Cities, "Redevelopment came in and created a new park and cleaned up the area, built new playgrounds and now you have kids playing there."

But Governor Jerry Brown's wants to cut local redevelopment funds to help close the budget deficit.
Now a group of Long Beach businesses, community groups and redevelopment supporters are fighting back.

They cite Proposition 22 which California voters passed last November.
61% of voters said they don't want redevelopment funds taken by the state.

"What we believe that the Governor has done in this proposal to eliminate redevelopment is to violate the will of the voters," Guerrero says.

Today, these redevelopment supporters launched a radio ad campaign to encourage California voters to fight against this budget.

"Everybody's hurting," says one ad, "Sending our local funds to cover the state's red ink will only make it worse. Enough"

The campaign is also advertising on Facebook and online. They are asking voters to sign their online petition to demand the legislature leave these funds alone.

In January, Governor Brown spoke to the League of California Cities about the possible cuts to redevelopment. In a video of the speech posted on his website... he said to get through this tough economic time everyone must make sacrifices.

"We are short of money," Brown said "And cities are short of money. And schools are laying off teachers I mean we are all in a tough situation. So we all have got to think as Californians first not just everyone fighting over everything else. So my thought on the redevelopment is that its one of the pieces."
Guerrero says even if the governor's budget passes this fight is not over.

"Because it is unconstitutional and we believe the people have spoken it will probably go to a lawsuit with the local governments and the state," she said.

The legislature has until March 10 to vote on the proposed budget.