Originally posted at OB Rag
When the San Diego City Council voted by a wide majority on July 16 to regulate short-term vacation rentals, it was using the democratic process to resolve an issue that has been plaguing the city and especially the beach and coastal neighborhoods for years. By a vote of 6 to 3, the bi-partisan majority vote saved coastal residences for long-term renters.
Yet, immediately, the Airbnb crowd cried foul, threatening legal suits – and more against the vote – which has to be confirmed on Wednesday, August 1 in a so-called “second reading” of the ordinance. The second reading will be at 1PM in the Council Chambers at 202 C Street, 12th floor.
So, now Airbnb, HomeAway, and local STVR operators are planning “an all-out assault” against the regulations just passed coming up for that second reading. One owner of a local mini-empire of vacation rentals has called for a “firestorm of anger” to be unleashed at the City Council meeting.
Nancy Kramer, the owner of Nancy’s Vacation Rentals, is the owner of a network of STVRs and who called for that “firestorm of anger” in an email blast out to her customers and fellow investors. The subject line of her email was “Are you angry?” – and down in the text she urges people to tell the Council what they think and attend the meeting.
“There is NOTHING more important than this,” she incites, while criticizing those STVR advocates who didn’t attend the July 16 hearing and complaining how at the last Council hearing “the other side continued talking for an hour after we ran out of people.”
Then Kramer lets slip a little clue of just whom she’s trying to rally and bring the firestorm when she instructs her email recipients to “Buy your airline ticket right now ….”
She’s talking to out of town investors. If you’re local, you don’t need to buy no stinkin’ airline tickets.
On the other side of the issue, the group Save San Diego Neighborhoods that has consistently fought against unregulated vacation rentals also warns its supporters:
To be clear, the ordinance passed on July 16 must pass again on August 1 at 1PM in the Council Chamber at 202 C Street, 12th floor before it is law.
We won round 1 and need to finish the fight next Wednesday! Please plan to attend this critical hearing.
Before the hearing, please contact your Councilmember and ask them to protect our neighborhoods on August 1st by voting Yes.
The Nancy Kramers of the Airbnb crowd are disrespecting San Diego’s democratic process. One side won by a large margin on July 16 – and the side that lost the vote is attempting to overturn the fair result. This is unacceptable. This will not abide. The losers are trying to rally their out of town investors to mass in front of and intimidate our elected officials.
But clearly, our elected officials know this out-of-town crowd has money – but they also know they don’t vote.
[Editordude: Council contact info is at the end of this post.]
Here is the email from Nancy Kramer:
From: Nancy Kramer
Subject: Are you angry? Here is your chance to speak!
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2018 6:35 PM
Are you angry about what the San Diego City Council just did to you, to your property rights, to your retirement, your investment, your business or your job? You have your chance to tell them what you think. The Second Reading of the ordinance with the final language was just now scheduled for August 1 at 1PM in the Council Chamber at 202 C Street, 12th floor. Buy your airline ticket right now and be there! We need to show them a firestorm of anger about how they slipped this through in violation of the Brown Act without properly noticing the public and why this is going to create a very unfair financial hardship on you.
Put that date on your calendar. There is NOTHING more important than this so this time NO EXCUSES.
On Monday the other side continued talking for an hour after we ran out of people! I truly believe that we ended up here because of apathy. No one thought this would really happen and we did not have a very good showing on Monday. Our opposition had people talking for an HOUR after we ran out of people, a full hour right before they voted!
I’m counting on YOU to save your property, your business, your job.
Contact info for San Diego City Council and Officials
Please call or email even after hours and leave a message:
Barbara Bry: (619) 236-6611
Lorie Zapf: (619) 236-6622
Chris Ward: (619) 236-6633
Myrtle Cole: (619) 236-6644
Mark Kersey: (619) 236-6655
Chris Cate: (619) 236-6616
Scott Sherman: (619) 236-6677
David Alvarez: (619) 236-6688
Georgette Gomez: (619) 236-6699
Mayor Kevin Faulconer (619) 236-6330
City Attorney Mara Elliott 619-236-6220
emails:
barbarabry@sandiego.gov,
loriezapf@sandiego.gov,
christopherward@sandiego.gov,
myrtlecole@sandiego.gov,
markkersey@sandiego.gov,
chriscate@sandiego.gov,
scottsherman@sandiego.gov,
davidalvarez@sandiego.gov,
georgettegomez@sandiego.gov,
kevinfaulconer@sandiego.gov,
cityattorney@sandiego.gov
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while i am totally on board with the STVR ordinance that was adopted by the City Council i object to the unnecessarily inflammatory rhetoric. there is nothing wrong or un-democratic with Ms. Kramer’s call to action.
if the July vote had gone the other way you would be inciting neighborhood advocates to show up for the second reading to try and influence the vote same as the other side is doing. that IS the democratic process.
there are many valid things to be upset about in this long-simmering fight but i don’t think this email call falls in that category.
It depends on how you define “wrong” I guess. In my book, it’s “wrong” to rally out-of-town investors in an effort to overturn a democratic vote. Anyhow, no matter, as the chance of a 2nd reading overturning a council vote is next to nil.
It’s wrong to wreck communities, it’s wrong to destroy the little long-term housing stock there is – all for what? So investors who don’t live here can make more money? It’s wrong to uphold the “rights” of investor over the rights of community residents, who in the case of OB, are mostly renters.
Mr. Gormlie, you are now engaging in exactly the kind of false equivalency that the reptiles often use. which exactly illustrates my point:
both sides often use the same tactics and actions. for you, or any writer, to decry one while using the other is not right.
Both sides have a right to the democratic process, but that doesn’t mean one side isn’t wrong. I firmly believe the needs and desires of the permanent residents of neighborhoods should take precedence. While I couldn’t give to s***s about the impact of out of town investors, but there are plenty of local investors who DO live in SD. For some, STVRs IS their livelihood. It is what they do for a living, and not all of them are living a one percenter’s standard of living. For some running STVRs is a supplement to their regular income and doing this is the only way they themselves can afford to live in SD. The irony is they are part of the problem. While I feel sorry for the financial damage this may cause for some of these individuals (local investors/STVR owners), perhaps they simply need to accept the fact that they will have to bite the bullet and realize that this is better overall for the community.
Sounds like a case of property rights before human rights.I bet when the land was stolen from the native inhabitants no one was screaming property rights then.
I couldn’t agree more with Mr. Frank Gormlie’s assessment. It’s one thing to rally your troops. It’s another thing entirely to call for support from people who do not have legal voting rights in the district. To think otherwise is to follow in the footsteps of a Russian dictator.