I'm not a politician.

ThanksAs long as they don't change it with the AB 1506 ruling next year http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-costa-hawkin...If you live in California write your local politicians

There's lots of reasons but its primarily due (in my opinion, of course) to our politicians not being able to figure out how to attract and keep businesses.  

The politicians do not talk about it much, but rely on it to fund the government (which includes making social security and medicare payments to current retirees). 

If you are operating buildings in rent controlled areas or other gov-mint-laden environments you can expect to get slums because the politicians don't understand basic economics.

I don't recall which politician said "we have to pass it to know what it is" I think that is correct but I've heard it said "We have to pass it to know it's effects".

essentially what politicians did to property owners in some areas. 

I will suspend my political views, but isn't it pretty likely that ALL American politicians are back-scratchers of epic proportions?

A lot of the revenue that the city received was squandered by the local politicians and given to their special interests and developer buddies, there are lots of reports about this out there.

The sad thing is that you have all the politicians and government agencies who squeeze themselves in the middle of all these, try to justify their relevancy, and think they know better than all of us.