Tag Archives: Climate Change

Vote No on Measure A

Dear ECOS Community,

Please share this message with your neighbors, friends, and colleagues. Measure A, on the ballot this November, is presented as a “citizens’ initiative” and therefore requires only a 50.1 percent majority to pass. It is critical that you vote NO on Measure A.

Measure A circumvents the Sacramento BLUEPRINT, California’s climate targets, and federal transportation planning law. It contains roadway capacity expansion projects and a new rural expressway that will induce car travel and sprawl development and pull resources from transit and transit-based development.

Under Measure A, SACOG concluded in its May 2022 analysis, “the region would likely fall short of meeting its state-mandated 19 percent per capita greenhouse gas reduction target by nearly 2 percent,” which is a ten percent shortfall. SACOG also found that failing to meet the mandate “would jeopardize the region’s ability to compete for state transportation and housing funding programs.”

If Measure A passes, the region will take a disastrous step backward, worsening existing economic inequalities and prospects for climate adaptation.

The Measure A proponents falsely say the measure will combat climate change.

• Bill Magavern, Policy Director of the Coalition for Clean Air summed it up: “Don’t be fooled. Despite promising to reduce congestion and improve air quality, Measure A will have the opposite effect by spending taxpayer dollars on the construction of numerous highway expansions throughout the region. The Coalition for Clean Air opposes Measure A because it is a threat to the air quality of the Sacramento region, which already suffers from unhealthy levels of air pollution, and would also result in increased congestion, global warming impacts, and sprawl.”

• In CARB’s October 10, 2022 letter to Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Sing-Allen, Steven Cliff, the CARB Executive Officer, wrote “The combined set of projects in this $8.5 billion measure would be inconsistent with the statewide effort to lessen the impacts of climate change.”

• Mike McKeever, former Executive Director of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), commented, “The most recent mailer from the Measure’s proponents, which claims that Measure A fights climate change, is the exact opposite of the truth. Measure A proponents are so desperate for their $8.5 billion tax that they are spending millions of dollars to spread falsehoods.”

The League of Women Voters, Sierra Club, Sacramento Taxpayers Association, United Latinos, Sacramento Sister Circle, Save the American River Association, and dozens of other organizations oppose Measure A. For more information and a complete list, see MeasureANotOK.org.

VOTE NO ON MEASURE A

Additional references:

• Oct. 27, 2022: Backers of a Sacramento sales tax hike are lying to voters. They should reject Measure A. By Marcos Breton of The Sacramento Bee’s Editorial Board. https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article267915392.html

• Oct. 20, 2022: How special interests exploited a loophole and put a Sacramento County tax hike on the ballot. By Yousef Baig of The Sacramento Bee. https://www.sacbee.com/article267335212.html

• October 10, 2022: Essay: Sacramento journalist breaks down why Measure A would fund new suburban highways, increase greenhouse gases and super-charge sprawl. By Sacramento News & Review Staff, Brad Branan

• Oct. 10, 2022: Sacramento County voters must reject Measure A, an $8.5 billion gift to special interests. By Sacramento Bee Editorial Board. Also Video on Measure A with former SACOG CEO Mike McKeever, Sierra Club Sacramento Chair Barbara Leary, Sacramento Taxpayers Association President Bruce Lee. https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/election-endorsements/article266980846.html

Sincerely,

Susan Herre

President of the ECOS Board of Directors

Vote No on Measure A – Watch Tim’s and Mike’s Video

Tim Irvine of Environmental Democrats of Sacramento County, and Mike McKeever, former CEO of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) react to a new flyer released about Measure A.

Measure A would cause sprawl development to surge by funding roadway capacity expansion projects (including a new expressway); this would prevent our region from meeting State and federal air quality and climate mandates — thereby making us ineligible for their transportation and housing funds. Measure A represents the opposite of the SACRAMENTO BLUEPRINT principles of affordable, transit-served infill development and natural resource protection, for which our region has received national acclaim. VOTE No on Measure A.

Sacramento Transportation Authority Meeting Nov 10

Update: these two items of interest are postponed until November 10, 2022.

The STA Governing Board Meeting Agenda Packet for October 13, 2022 at 1:30 pm: https://www.sacta.org/calendar/bl7btgymcz858x5

Item 9 discusses a strategy for using Measure A Smart Growth Incentive Program (SGIP) funds as a local match for the 2022-2023 SACOG Community Design Grant Program. The SACOG Community Design Grant Program focuses in on infill development and reducing VMT.

Item 10 provides a draft work plan for implementation of the Citizens’ Initiative should it pass in November. The draft work plan discusses among other things the need for policy development in the following areas:

  • Federal Air Quality, Metropolitan Transportation Plan and GHG Reduction Targets (Program Wide Policy)
  • Geographic and Social Equity (Program Wide Policy)
  • Complete Streets

Climate Task Force Meeting Oct 13

In lieu of our regularly scheduled Climate Change Committee monthly meeting in October, we will participate in the first meeting of the County’s Climate Task Force, at the same time (Thursday, October 13, at 6 PM); with info and link below.

Todd Smith (Sacramento County’s Planning Director) noted that their Climate Action Plan (going for a vote by the Board of Supervisors later this year) will not achieve 2030 goals, but that the Climate Task Force will be charged with recommending ways to accomplish that goal. As the website below shows,

The Task Force will provide expert and community advice on the mobilization of public and private resources necessary to implement a climate and sustainability plan that identifies and integrates current and future actions necessary to achieve an equitable, sustainable and resilient economy and transition to countywide carbon neutrality by 2030 and beyond.

The link to view the meeting an be accessed through the website below, which is: https://metro14live.saccounty.net/cemtf.html

Click here for the agenda, so you can have an idea of what to expect and what will be covered.