At the Capitol: The Year of the Bond
October Convention: Learning Essential Skills to Win
Honoring Environmental Champions Mitchell and Leno
Calling Certified Sierra Club Trip Leaders
At the Capitol: The Year of the Bond
By Kathryn Phillips
The legislature has just begun the last four weeks of this year’s legislative session and the most active conversations revolve around bonds, especially water bonds.
This week, the governor announced that he is opposed to the $11.1 billion bond now scheduled to go to voters in November as Proposition 43. That’s good news for the environment.
Proposition 43 is a classic example of a pork-laden proposal designed to garner special interest support at taxpayer expense. It includes provisions—and funding—that would accelerate development of giant tunnels and destruction of the San Francisco Bay Delta, and that would open the way for new dams that won’t help solve California’s water supply problems.
Sierra Club California and a number of other groups, including the League of Women Voters of California, oppose Proposition 43. We have expressed our opposition in the ballot statement published in the election pamphlet the Secretary of State’s office will send to voters later this year.
The legislation establishing the $11.1 billion bond was passed in 2009, over Sierra Club’s objections, and then scheduled for the 2010 ballot. The legislature removed it from the ballot when it became clear that California’s voters would defeat it. It was withdrawn again in 2012 for the same reason.
The governor’s stated opposition to the bond may help efforts to remove the big bond from the November ballot. However, it will also restart discussions about lower cost alternative bonds to replace it.
The governor has outlined one alternative which, unfortunately, continues some of the bad ideas contained within the larger bond, although on a smaller scale. These include devoting one third of the bond to storage—including dams—without strong accountability and oversight about how the money is distributed.
To demonstrate that a proposal that responds to California’s most important water needs without harming the environment is possible, Sierra Club California and several of our allies have outlined a $6 billion bond that emphasizes drought relief and programs that will help agricultural and urban water users improve water conservation and water efficiency.
Over the next two weeks, as the legislature determines what sort of water bond will go before voters in November, Club staff and volunteers will be helping push for a final bond that makes sense for the entire state and its environment.
October Convention: Learning Essential Skills to Win
By Kathryn Phillips
When Sierra Club California activists work to protect the environment, they need a bagful of skills that persuade and draw public attention.
To help create that bag of skills, this year’s Sierra Club California convention will focus on tactics for making the most of media—both conventional and social.
Our keynote speakers for the event will be the team of Sev Williams and Nina Erlich-Williams, the duo who have helped California environmental groups and coalitions over the years make effective use of the media to counter the claims of polluters. Most recently, their firm, Public Good PR, helped stave off dramatic changes in the California Environmental Quality Act, and helped draw national attention to the fight against fracking here in California.
In addition to their keynote, during which they’ll share examples of ways media can help win battles, Sev and Nina will offer at least one workshop at the convention to give Club members more detailed instruction about employing the elements of a winning media campaign.
The two-day convention runs from Saturday morning, October 11, through midday on Sunday, October 12. It takes place in San Luis Obispo County at the Rancho El Chorro park and public meeting facility. If you haven’t signed up already, click here to register online.
The convention is actually a joint meeting of the policy arm of Sierra Club California (called the California-Nevada Regional Conservation Committee or CNRCC) and Sierra Club California. The agenda is still being finalized, but Saturday is packed with interesting activities and information, from early morning through the evening. Sunday is usually reserved for elections and other business until adjournment at noon. Sev and Nina will be making their presentations on Saturday.
Every Sierra Club member is welcome to attend, and admission is low: Attending the entire weekend, including rustic lodging in a bunkhouse-style cabin, from Friday evening through Sunday morning, costs just $55. Lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday are included. Even then, nobody is turned away from the meetings due to lack of funds, and some scholarships are available. There are also reasonably priced motels in neighboring communities (Morro Bay, Los Osos, San Luis Obispo, etc.) within a 15-minute drive of the park. If you attend for a single day, the fee is $30 per day.
Some members attend as voting delegates. But you don’t have to be a voting delegate to attend. If you’ve been looking for a way to get more involved in Sierra Club California and the work we do to advance environmental protection around the state, or you want to learn or hone skills to be effective, the convention should be in your sights.
Honoring Environmental Champions Mitchell and Leno
Sierra Club California will present its 2014 Byron Sher awards, honoring public servants who have championed the environment in California, to Senator Holly J. Mitchell and Senator Mark Leno.
Both senators were joint authors of Senate Bill 1132, the fracking moratorium bill that a broad coalition pushed earlier this year. The bill died in the Senate, just three votes short.
Senator Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) is in her first year in the Senate, having served previously in the Assembly. Senator Leno (D-San Francisco) is in his sixth year in the Senate, also having previously served in the Assembly.
The Byron Sher Award is named after the former legislator who was instrumental in developing a number of California’s bedrock environmental laws.
Sierra Club California will host a reception to present the awards to senators Mitchell and Leno on Tuesday, August 12, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at our offices in Sacramento. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Meg Johnson (meg.johnson@sierraclub.org).
Calling Certified Sierra Club Trip Leaders
If you are a certified Sierra Club trip leader, you could lead an outing to your favorite destination and help protect it at the same time.
By leading a fundraising trip to support Sierra Club California, you can introduce people to California’s natural wonders and contribute effortlessly to the state environmental policies that will preserve those places.
Sierra Club California is looking to add more fundraising trips in 2014 and 2015. Do you have a favorite trip that you lead? Would you be willing to make it a fundraiser for Sierra Club California?
Please contact Meg Johnson, Operations Coord.
Email: meg.johnson@sierraclub.org
Phone: (916) 557-1100 x 110
Follow Us:
  |
Thank you for being a part of our work! You may securely donate online or by sending a check to Sierra Club California at 909 12th Street, Suite 202, Sacramento, CA 95814.
