Platform
Addressing Climate Change:
The flood control district has a unique capacity to tackle both climate change mitigation and adaptation. We can mitigate climate change by changing work trucks and tools to electric alternatives and we can support carbon capture by preserving trees and creating space for native plants- whose deep roots keep carbon deep in soil and deter erosion on our river banks. We can also adapt to the changing climate, as more frequent storms increase the likelihood of flood events, requiring diligent repairs and upgrades to levee systems. By prioritizing flood control solutions that preserve and enhance our natural ecosystems, we can prepare our local watershed with cost effective solutions to address the rising impacts of climate change in our region.
Sacramento, California and New Orleans, Louisiana are the two most levee dependent cities in this nation. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the city of New Orleans, leading to the deaths of over 1,300 people and the depopulation of one of the greatest centers of Black life and culture in the United States. Katrina was one of the worst cases of racial violence in America this century. It was a disaster caused by levee failure, intentional government decision making, and ambivalence to Black lives which led to chronic neglect of levee safety.
To avoid a similar fate in Sacramento, one of the most racially diverse cities in America, we need leadership in our flood control district that takes racial justice seriously and does not ignore the role it has in protecting our own residents. This commitment to racial justice includes creating accessible opportunities for education and enjoyment of the River for communities that have faced historical exclusion from our natural spaces. As a professional with years of experience in water and conservation districts and grant management, I will work to identify and apply for grants to support equitable access to our waterways.
For our unhoused neighbors who are pushed out of urban areas and forced to reside on our river banks, the City of Sacramento can model regional Districts, implementing policies aimed at reducing the destabilizing effects of poverty and reintroducing resources for community conservation and stewardship of the American River. In Contra Costa County, the Resource Conservation District provides training in conservation and work opportunities to unhoused neighbors who call the streambeds home. This is programming I would like to see implemented in Sacramento to ensure community needs for environmental conservation are not pitted against the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors.
2. Implementing an Environmental Justice Framework to Flood Management :
Elected officials at all levels of government must make intentional efforts to increase public participation in the decision making and programming of their municipal bodies. As a community organizer, I have seen the great power the public can wield if allowed to meaningfully participate in local government. As an elected Trustee, I would make greater use of public communication channels, and make neccesary the engagement of the broader community in Board efforts and volunteer opportunities.
3. Increase Meaningful Opportunities for Public Engagement:
