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That Terrible NIMBY Ballot Measure Is Not Going To Pass, Thank God
Rusty Hicks, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, at the Yes on H, No on S party Tuesday night. (Photo courtesy of the LA Fed)
There are still plenty of votes left to tabulate in the wee hours after Election Night, but Measure S (a.k.a That Terrible NIMBY Ballot Measure™) has already suffered a crushing defeat. As of 12:10 a.m. Wednesday, Measure S was down by 35%, with only 33% of Angelenos voting in favor of it (58% of precincts are currently reporting).
Measure S, an anti-development ballot measure dressed up in the guise of government reform, would have essentially frozen major construction projects in the city of Los Angeles for the next two years, among a host of other restrictions. Its passage would have had brutal effects on housing affordability in the city according to, well, pretty much every expert.
The hotly contested ballot measure was essentially entirely funded by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, who spent more than $3 million dollars on it.
“While we still have a lot of work to do to ensure LA continues to be an inclusive place, defeating Measure S has spared our City from a future that would’ve meant fewer jobs, fewer funds for critical public services, fewer new homes for those who desperately need them, and even less affordable rents," Rusty Hicks, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO said in a statement tonight.
“Tonight Los Angeles can breathe a great sigh of relief,” said Gary Toebben, President & CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. “And tomorrow, the coalition that formed to defeat this dangerous initiative will continue advocating to make Los Angeles better—pushing for updated community plans, transparency in government, and the creation of the housing at all levels that Los Angeles needs to truly thrive.”
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