Time to consider higher sales tax for Sacramento’s regional transportation work

January 12, 2016

“It may be time to consider asking voters to support a supplemental sales tax to fund transportation projects. The Transportation Authority board is considering putting a measure on the November ballot. If the measure added a half-cent tax, it would raise $116 million a year. Half the proceeds would repair and repave existing roads, while the other half would build new infrastructure. If the measure enacted a quarter-cent, most of the $58 million per year would likely be used to fix and maintain existing infrastructure.”

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article54348070.html#storylink=cpy

ECOS would support an increase in the County-wide transportation tax, as long as it emphasizes non-auto modes and does not include any new road projects. We believe it’s essential that funding of transit (particularly buses), pedestrian and bicycle facilities is increased to encourage healthy, non-auto modes of transportation. ‪#‎ActiveTransportation‬

SacTown VegFest

STVF poster letter pdf-1

SacTown VegFest Blasts Off!

The Sacramento Vegetarian Society (SVS), an ECOS member organization, is launching SacTown VegFest, Sacramento’s first 100% plant-based vegetarian festival.

SacTown VegFest will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2016, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Sacramento City Unified School District’s Serna Center, 5737 47th Ave. (one block west of Stockton Blvd.) in Sacramento.

This event is FREE and open to the public.

There will freshly prepared food and plant-based merchandise for sale as well as free samples. We will have information on the many benefits of plant-based eating—from delicious health-promoting recipes to how diet can reduce both water-usage and your carbon footprint.

SacTown VegFest is a family-friendly event, with fun activities for children.

There is a fine program of presenters:
· Keynote: Kristie Middleton, Food Policy Director, Humane Society of the U.S.
· Hope Bohanec, Author and Executive Director, Compassionate Living
· Timaree Hagenburger, “The Nutrition Professor,” Cosumnes River College
· Nora Kramer, Founder, Youth Empowered Action (YEA!) Camp
· Rajiv Misquitta, M.D., and Cathi Misquitta, Pharm.D., “Healthy Heart, Healthy Planet”
· Lani Muelrath, author, “The Plant Based Journey”
· Rosane Oliveira, PhD., UC Davis Integrative Medicine Program

Like SacTown VegFest on Facebook.

For more information, email: info[at]sactownvegfest[dot]org

Jan 8 Update: Sacramento City Tree Ordinance

January 8, 2016

UPDATE: a new community letter has been submitted. Visit our Trees Sacramento page for more details.

Trees Sacramento is a group of community members working to improve the City of Sacramento’s tree ordinance. Some of the changes being proposed will benefit developers and could cost residents many of the city’s trees that we have come to know and love.

Main Points

The revisions to the Sacramento city tree ordinance currently being proposed are bad for our community because they:

  • conflict with General Plan policies for the Urban Forest
  • degrade existing standards for tree removal
  • remove the right of citizens to appeal removals of city-owned trees
  • will result in more frequent removal of healthy trees and their public benefits to
    residents

Fact Sheet

Trees Sacramento has released a fact sheet to help you understand why we need to act now protect the trees in the City of Trees.

Community Letter

ECOS signed on to a Community Letter on Revising Sacramento’s Tree Ordinances submitted January 4, 2016 to the City of Sacramento’s law and legislation committee in anticipation of their reviewing the latest proposed tree ordinance on January 12, 2016. The law and legislation committee pulled the item from their agenda on January 8, 2016 and will resume the discussion at a later time.

Other Cities

Other cities have found ways to create more transparency and better monitoring by citizens. For example, in Portland:

Tree loss spurs Portland residents to action

Tree Project Oversight Advisory Committee

Get in Touch

Get in touch with the Trees Sacramento coalition by emailing them at trees4sacto[at]sbcglobal[dot]net.

ECOS to Participate in CA Water Fix Hearing

On January 5th, 2016, ECOS was one of many parties to file a notice of intent to participate in the California Water Fix Hearing, initiated by the State Water Resources Control Board in response to the application by California Department of Water Resources. ECOS will be participating only in phase II of the hearings which are as yet not scheduled since the FEIR needs to be released first.

Other groups and individuals who filed notices with intent to make statements on the change in water diversion on January 5th, 2016 included: African American Chamber of Commerce San Joaquin County, Asian Pacific Self Development and Residential Association, Braceros Del Delta, Assemblymember Joan Buchanan (ret), Café Coop, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, California Striped Bass Association, California Student Sustainability Coalition, California Water Impact Network, Central Valley Asian Chamber of Commerce, Delta Chamber of Commerce, Delta Fly Fishers, Earth Law Center, Assemblymember Susan Eggman, Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, Environmental Water Caucus, Friends of the River, Senator Cathleen Galgiani, Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce, LAND, Lao Family Community Empowerment, Lower Sherman Island Duck Hunters Association, North Delta Cares, Planning and Conservation League, Supervisor Larry Ruhstaller (ret), San Joaquin County, Semillas, Sherman Island Duck Hunters, Sierra Club California, Social Media Moms, Stockton Downtown Comeback Club & Visit Stockton! And of course, Restore the Delta!

Read more here.