Something I didn't say last night but should say now: I'm so very sorry to the renters of California for failing to get rent control passed again. We blew it - again. And I own it. I know a lot of you thought we were taking something away from you. We weren't. But so it goes

If you are a renter in California, and if you live in a rent controlled unit: fight like hell to keep it. Join a tenants union (I'm a proud member of @LATenantsUnion and if you're in L.A. join us). Never, ever just give up. Fight to stay in your home. And organize your community.

Don't accept that landlord gets to do what they want.

Are your wages increasing by 8-10% a year? No? Why should your rent?

Don't accept that AB 1482, passed by your "progressive" Governor, @GavinNewsom, is enough. Don't accept unjust rent increases with or without rent control.

You can demand more. You can organize and demand lower increases. You can demand your slumlord fix your apartments - in my experience, slumlords don't discriminate whether you live in a rent controlled apartment or not. And if they don't? Fight them until they do.

You have bargaining power, especially now at a moment when so many are struggling to pay their rent.

Use that bargaining power. Be proud of being a renter.

There are 17 million of us. Make them afraid of us.

Oh - and thank you to all of you who talked to others, tweeted, posted, put up signs in support of Prop 21. I know for a fact we will win...soon. It took Jim Costa 12 years to pass Costa-Hawkins. We've been living the price of that mistake since. If it takes us 12 years...

Oh...one final thing to note. Right now, the Governor's weak rent gouging law (AB 1482) plus two anti-rent control laws (especially the Ellis Act) means we are losing 4-5 rent controlled houses in the City of Los Angeles alone every single day.

This is why you should fight.