Gail Steele's Priorities as Alameda County Supervisor, District Two

By Gail Steele

Hands-On Work for Alameda County Issues Supervisor Gail Steele's Continuing Priorities 2006-10

MENTAL HEALTH: $30 million in new assessment and treatment dollars have come to Alameda County for children's mental health services; more prevention dollars from Prop 63 will come soon. A new planning process will be starting shortly. I HAVE MONITORED AND ADVOCATED FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE DEEPLY INVOLVED.

JUVENILE JUSTICE: Alameda County has recently studied intensively how to improve our juvenile justice system. I AM WORKING WITH THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PLAN AND MONITOR THE NEEDED CHANGES.

ALAMEDA COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER (ACMC): The Board of Supervisors must support and monitor the ACMC as it works to balance its budget and repay $200 million borrowed from the County. I ATTEND ACMC MEETINGS; ACMC'S SURVIVAL IS ONE OF MY TOP PRIORITIES.

THE ENVIRONMENT: Protecting Alameda County's environment has never been more important. I VOTED TO STOP EXCESSIVE BIRD KILL BY WINDMILLS IN ALTAMONT PASS, AND VOTED AGAINST THE BOUNDARY CREEK DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE IT THREATENED THE CREEK'S SENSITIVE AREAS.

"OUR KIDS": This cutting-edge program puts case managers and therapists into as many schools as possible in Alameda County. We must keep improving collaboration among schools, Probation, Social Services, and Mental Health. I HELPED CREATE "OUR KIDS." GETTING THIS PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED COUNTY-WIDE IS THE VERY REASON I WANTED TO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

HEALTH CARE: In 2004 the Board of Supervisors together with the community passed Measure A + These funds support the Medical Center, and its Hayward and Newark clinics, Tiburcio Vasquez, the Silva Clinic, St. Rose Hospital, and Children's Hospital, all serving low-income and indigent County residents. I HELPED LEAD THE MEASURE A CAMPAIGN, AND DIRECTED DISTRICT TWO MEASURE A FUNDS TO LOCAL CLINICS.

SPORTS TEAMS: Now that we've reached peace with the Oakland Raiders, we need to extend the Oakland Athletics' lease and work together to find a new ballpark site. AS JPA CHAIR I HAVE WORKED HARD FOR MORE HARMONIOUS RELATIONS WITH OUR THREE TEAMS. THE ATHLETICS, RAIDERS, AND WARRIORS PUT ALAMEDA COUNTY ON THE NATIONAL MAP AND BOOST COMMUNITY PRIDE, AS WELL AS PRODUCE JOBS AND OTHER ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES TO HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, AND THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY.

CHILDREN AND VIOLENCE: I WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND H0NOR CHILDREN WHO DIE BY VIOLENCE IN ALAMEDA COUNTY, THROUGH THE NATIONAL CHILDREN'S MEMORIAL PROJECT WHICH I STARTED IN ALAMEDA COUNTY TEN YEARS AGO; IT WAS ADOPTED BY CONGRESS IN 2001.