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Coastal Commission granted power to impose fines

June 23, 2014

coastal commisionWhen California Governor Jerry Brown signed the state budget into law Friday, he also granted a new power to the California Coastal Commission. [Sacramento Bee]

A provision included in the state budget allows the Coastal Commission to fine property owners who block public access to the beach. The commission previously did not have the power to impose any fines.

Last year, a bill progressed through the state Assembly that, too, would have granted the Coastal Commission the authority to fine property owners, but it fell a few votes short of passage. The proposal succeeded this time as part of a $108 billion budget that Brown signed.

Recently, environmentalists have battled in court to gain public access to a beach in San Mateo County. Environmentalists sued Silicon Valley billionaire Vinod Khosla for closing an access road to the beach after purchasing a secluded cove south of Half Moon Bay.

A judge is still deciding whether Khosla has the right to close the road, but the Coastal Commission can now weigh in by fining him if it deems appropriate.

The new regulation only applies, though, to cases of blocked beach access. The bill that failed in the legislature called for fining violators who destroy wetlands or build coastal homes without permits. The Coastal Commission must still go to court, which it rarely does, in order to address those types of violations.


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If this guy wasn’t such an ass to the public, I would say yea-they shouldn’t have that kind of power. The ocean, beaches, lakes, rivers, dunes and forests belong to the public. F.U. Malibu.


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One more ”Non-Tax” Tax. Brown has clearly studied at the Obama school of Administration. Stay tuned, more taxes to come.


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Watch very carefully how the bureaucracy continues to grow. The CCC staff and budget will increase in order to facilitate their new authority.These are YOUR tax dollars at work.

And so it goes (grows)……


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Have to love the predictably lame comments so far! Hey, folks, the beach belongs to US, the PEOPLE of California — that’s the law. Why should some billionaire be allowed to shut off the road that makes it possible for us get to OUR beach? What right does he have to do that, and in the process privatize OUR BEACH for his own use? This isn’t evil govt baring its fanged jaws and snapping at poor downtrodden proles — it’s common sense. It’s govt standing up for the little guy — hey, that’s us they’re standing up for! There has been no good way to enforce the law up to now. Any fine can be appealed, and if it’s actually unmerited surely the billionaires of the world will appeal it.


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Yes, we need to protect our access to our beaches. But we cannot deprive the assholes of due process. Them first, who next? You? Me?


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Add this to the never ending list of unelected commissions, etc who impose regulations, fines, etc. #1 on the B.S. list is the AQMD, next is the IWMB(plastic bag ban morons)…etc., etc., This country and specifically this state is a mess.


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Ooops…I meant APCD instead of AQMD…same difference I guess.


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The California Coastal Commission is NOT an ELECTED body.


Therefor should NOT have the power to fine anybody!


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If they will now have the power to fine the people of the once great state of California then they should stand for election by said people…


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With one stroke of the pen a commission can now impose fines. What a deal for this travel club, Club Meetings. This is a great way to fund issues, that is if they consider it to be an issue, cover their legal expenses and costly sticky and salty staff.


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Will the Coastal Commissioners be voting themselves raises now with their new found money generating powers?? Another APCD sort of thing, huh?


Gov. Brown’s form of government, if you can get what you want legally just sneak it through another way….


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