An Open Letter To My Second District Neighbors-May 19th, 2012

By Douglas Deitch

An Open Letter, May 19th, 2012

(News Flash...5/22/12... Please listen to Douglas Deitch (that's me, Folks), MZ, and Dr. Holt sort and break down this local Monterey Bay regional water and desal dilemma on the 2 hour "Saturday Special Show" this last Saturday (5/19/12)on KSCO radio...click link below to listen

http://dev.ksco.got.net/podcasts/KSCO_20120519_100601_SatSpe.MP3)

Dear Neighbors, Friends, and Fellow Community Members,

Thank you for taking the time now in allowing me the opportunity to discuss with you why I am running for the Santa Cruz Supervisor position for the sixth consecutive time, after over 42 years residence here since age 21....

The county and, actually, the Monterey Bay Region is really a rather small place, which I have known intimately since childhood, on road and off, on bike or foot, from one end to the other...the parks, the waterways and water supplies, the wetlands, the historic and other valuable ecological, economic, and human resources.

It is important to realize three important realities about where we live now. First and foremost is that our community is not now safe. This is bad for our people and bad for our most important business...tourism. This must be proactively addressed now, utilizing every possible available local, state, and federal resource...and, most importantly, by following the law.

Second is that our entire Monterey Bay Region, perhaps unique in the world given our immense agricultural production here, is entirely isolated from the rest of California water-wise...with small exception we depend almost exclusively on our ground water supplies here. How we use or abuse this resource on a Monterey Bay wide regional basis affects every social, economic, and natural system we have here. We have a very serious water problem, but from over and unwise use rather than scarcity.

Third and finally is that, perhaps surprisingly, Santa Cruz is the second smallest county geographically in the state, behind only San Francisco, with a documented population of around only 250,000 and a reported undocumented population of around 25,000, compared to San Francisco's 870,000. It is interesting to note that Santa Cruz has effectively six planning departments (if we include UCSC to accompany the four cities and county) to San Francisco's one.

The job of county supervisor is to supervise the affairs of the entire county and region. In order to know something isn't working, one must know how that something properly operates in the first instance. I do.

I'm running for this office because I believe there is a need for a proactive and regional creative, sensible, entrepreneurial, and environmental thinker on the Board. That's an important element and perspective that's always been lacking. I firmly believe that business, entrepreneurship, and concern for the environment can, and should, go hand in hand. Look at the Watsonville High School project, for example, built on wetlands...

http://dougforsupervisor.com/archive/new_high_school.htm

For well over the last 25 years, I have been continuously and effectively participating in the community and working on these very same and serious concerns and issues of community safety, resource conservation, and sustainable and sensible development as well as our water catastrophe and its solution. I have already given much thought and effort to them as well as achieved tangible, positive results.

http://dougforsupervisor.com http://Thebestthatmoneycantbuy.com ...

I have a 40 year record as a successful business person in the community. In addition, I have a record of active participation in region-wide land, resource management, environmental, and social issues. I'm already "up and running" and have already been working on many of our vital problems. I have the rounded and varied practical experience (business and otherwise), and a long term track record of effective involvement, results, and commitment.

In the course of my community activities over the years, I have met and/or interacted with all members of our current (and past) Boards and the Santa Cruz city councils. Additionally, I am already acquainted with virtually all county department heads (including LAFCO, Soquel Creek, Pajaro, and Monterey County, and other water districts), local judges, public defenders, other law enforcement officials, key UCSC and Cabrillo College officials and supporters (I am one), Capitola and Watsonville council members and other key city and county administrators and personnel. In short, I have taken the time and effort to get to know our community leaders. Additionally, the individuals who will work with me as part of my supervisorial team will further buttress and widen the capabilities and regional reach and effect of the Second District Supervisor's office.

From a practical perspective, I have pulled permits, constructed buildings, roads, septic systems, wells, at my cost designed and developed for the city of Santa Cruz the busiest street intersection in the city, saved wetlands and historic buildings, proposed viable and innovative low income housing tax credit financing initiatives to UCSC, proposed creative local solutions to our regional water crisis. From my personal experiences, I appreciate full well the trials and travails involved in these activities and their accomplishment.

Although I have sincerely attempted to convey to you my concerns about and my vision for our community in this short letter, there is much more I could say to you. Moreover, your reactions, thoughts, and concerns are equally important to me. This is the reason that I have placed my telephone number here and on my ballot statement-- 831-476-7662 for the last 35 years in the phone book. I want to hear from you and be responsive to you.

So, please feel free reasonably to contact me by any means at anytime, and after you elect me, please feel free to continue to do the same. This community critically needs your support, your vote, and your help now to put me in this very important office, and, after you elect me, you will always be able to rely on mine. I know well the meaning of the words "fiduciary" and "steward", and I will be ours. I appreciate that, if elected, this will be (outside my family) the most important responsibility I will probably ever undertake. I will perform it accordingly.

The vision and performance of our next supervisor will be critical to our district, our county, and our region if we are, at last, to start to establish ourselves as a sustainable and livable community. This will be a community with a long term, viable future, instead of one continuing in our present decline. I will provide this vision and performance and fight for our quality and maintaining and improving our way of life here. I will help us establish a sustainable and livable community, so together, as a community, we may thrive and prosper. I promise you this.

Thanks for your support and vote June 5th.

Doug http://ThinkLocalActLocal.com http://ThinkLocalActLocal.net http://ThinkLocalActLocal.org