LCVSD News |
League of Conservation Voters San Diego Amicus Letter to Support Seals in La Jolla
(click here to read letter)
League of Conservation Voters San Diego Opposes
Blackwater USA in San Diego County
Press Release - October 10th, 2007
The League of Conservation Voters San Diego opposes the proposed Blackwater USA mercenary training facility in Potrero. The proposed site is almost entirely surrounded by undeveloped public lands.
Potrero is a unique area to San Diego County with open space, mountain foothills with grasslands, oak woodlands, chaparral and wetlands, including portions of the Cleveland National Forest. The proposed 15 shooting ranges, helicopter pad, and simulated combat activities would likely produce significant environmental impacts to the rural land of Potrero. LCVSD President, Jamie Gonzalez states: "This is a huge concern for the residents of San Diego County. Allowing public lands and open space to be used for private military training is irresponsible and offensive to San Diegans."
Blackwater already maintains two large training centers in the United States. Establishing another private military base on public land is not only unfair to the Potrero community but also to rest of San Diego County.
Critical of Issa's arguments on toll road
By Bill Collins
Regarding "Easing the way for coastal commuters" (Opinion, June 28):
As president of the League of Conservation Voters San Diego, I'm writing to state that Congressman Darrell Issa, R-Vista, failed to mention that construction of the six-lane toll road would be through San Diego's popular San Onofre State Park. He complained that Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego, should not have taken leadership in protecting San Onofre, the fifth-most visited of the state parks, from the toll road. Her constituents use the park, and Issa, who has a sorry record on environmental protection, isn't about to stand up to the developers.
Issa claims the highway won't impair camping at San Mateo campgrounds, but who would want to camp with a noisy, polluting highway nearby? Who would be able to sleep there with pile drivers pounding the earth day and night during the years of construction?
Issa also says the toll road would benefit commuters, but new highways eventually become congested after local governments approve more developments around them. Smart developments include denser communities with convenient public transportation and services where people don't have to get into their cars for every single trip.
Unfortunately, the toll road advocates can't see any other way than more of the same, which is a recipe for continued traffic congestion. Highways have no place through parks. Bravo to Congresswoman Susan Davis.
LCVSD Signs on to Protect Rancho Guejito
The League of Conservation Voters San Diego joined others in signing a letter to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to protect Rancho Guejito, one of the most important properties in California. Rancho Guejito is located east of Valley Center.
Click here to read the letter and learn more about the importance of Rancho Guejito.
Bilbray's Record On Clean Water Isn't So Pure
By Bill Collins
Congressman Brian Bilbray's rosy article boasting of cleaner ocean water came as several San Diego beaches were closed due to the discharge of partially treated sewage.
While it's nothing new for politicians to crow about their record, Bilbray's record on beach water quality is mixed. Before I point out some deficiencies in Mr.
Bilbray's history, let's note that his legislation to require states to establish water quality standards is helpful, and his bragging is appropriate.
But monitoring bacteria in water doesn't give us clean water, it just tells us when
it's polluted – after the fact. Congressman Bilbray hasn't been so supportive of secondary treatment of sewage before
it's emptied at our beaches where thousands of San Diegans surf and frolic daily. Does Bilbray now support a higher standard of sewage treatment?
Bilbray recently was one of just 58 members of the House to vote against the Water Quality Investment Act, which would provide federal assistance to state and local governments to control sewage overflows. Fortunately, 367 members of the House, both Republicans and Democrats, voted for the bill.
One of the first votes Bilbray cast last year was to repeal the bipartisan moratorium on offshore oil drilling. The bill, authored by now defeated Congressman Richard Pombo, was a desperate attempt by the oil companies to open up coastal oil drilling before the GOP lost control of Congress.
For some reason, the Congressman neglected to mention these votes.
Bill Collins is President of the League of Conservation Voters San Diego.
PB Man New Head of Environmental Group
Bill Collins of Pacific Beach was elected the new president of the League of Conservation Voters San Diego this past weekend.
The nonpartisan League works to elect candidates in San Diego to city, county, state and federal offices. In recent elections, the LCVSD has endorsed Donna Frye and Lorena Gonzalez in San Diego, Jim Woods in Oceanside and Rudy Ramirez in Chula Vista. The League also opposed the Miramar airport measure.
"San Diegans care about our environment, but we need to make sure that politicians give more than lip service at campaign time to protecting our bay, ocean, river and open space," said Collins.
Humberto Peraza of Chula Vista was elected Vice-president of the League.
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LCVSD Urges: Vote NO on Proposition 90
The League of Conservation Voters San Diego has joined the California League of Conservation Voters to oppose Proposition 90 on the November 2006 ballot.
This initiative constitutional amendment would limit government's authority to adopt certain land use, housing, consumer, environmental and workplace laws and regulations, except when necessary to preserve public health or safety. Proposition 90 also bars state and local governments from condemning or damaging private property to promote private projects or uses.
Prop. 90 would require billions of dollars in new payments whenever a law or regulation is passed to protect our neighborhoods, control development, protect air environmental quality, restrict undesirable businesses or enact new consumer protection laws. This is because the measure contains a hidden provision that allows virtually anyone to claim that a new law or regulation has impacted the value of their property or business - no matter how far-fetched the claim - and taxpayers will be on the hook to pay the bill.
Billed as an eminent domain reform, the initiative is really an anti-government scheme promoted by those who want to roll back hard-won gains.
Proposition 90 is also opposed by the League of California Cities and is certain to be opposed by labor, consumer and environmental protection organizations.
Proposition 90 is one of the worst environmental initiatives to be on the California ballot in decades, and has directed the League to help form a diverse coalition to defeat this deceptive anti-taxpayer measure. While strongly committed to meaningful eminent domain reforms to protect single-family homeowners, LCVSD and CLCV believe Proposition 90 is a classic "bait and switch" that must be defeated.
Proponents want voters to believe this measure is about eminent domain reform, but they've hidden a trap within the fine print of the measure that would lead to huge new costs for all California taxpayers and devastate our neighborhoods and environment.
Proposition 90 was never pending before the Legislature – it was viewed as too extreme to merit consideration. Yet now it is before the voters. Don't be fooled into voting against our community's own self-interest.
The California League of Conservation Voters and the San Diego Chapter of the League of Conservation Voters urge you to vote NO on Proposition 90.
For more info
For info on environmental impacts of Prop 90
LCVSD Opposes Proposition A: Relocation of Lindbergh Field to Miramar
An Environment for a Commercial Airport?
Supporters of Proposition A - the ballot measure that would pave the way for moving San Diego's Commercial Airport from Lindbergh Field to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar- have finally admitted that joint use' of the Military Air Station with a commercial airport is simply not viable. MCAS Miramar does not provide an airspace environment that can ever be compatible with a commercial airport, and commercial airport operations at Miramar would essentially be a death-sentence for the Marine Corps Air Station.
What is getting less attention is that MCAS Miramar also provides a natural environment that can never be compatible with a commercial airport, and that commercial airport operations at Miramar would essentially be a death sentence for a rare and valuable natural resource.
The land that houses MCAS Miramar encompasses a rare ecosystem that includes over 80% of the vernal pools in San Diego County, 10 federally protected or endangered species, and 56 federal or state native species of concern'. Miramar also provides a vital wildlife and plant corridor between Torrey Pines State Reserve, Soledad Canyon, and Mission Trails Regional Park. Seventy-five percent of the Air Station remains in a natural state, a good portion of which would be paved over by the new commercial airport runways. Even the areas that wouldn't be directly paved over would be threatened due to the increased noise, runoff, and traffic.
And what about the living environment for residents near Miramar? Nearby residents have already lived with the impacts from the existing military air station. With a commercial airport, residents would be subjected to additional noise impacts, safety issues, traffic, and air quality impacts that would make for an inhospitable living environment. Residents' property values could take a hit as well.
LCVSD doesn't think we need to sacrifice the natural or living environment at and near Miramar for a new commercial airport. We urge a NO Vote on Proposition A.
Looking to the future, we think San Diego needs a thorough and honest public debate about San Diego's Lindbergh Field's capacity to meet our region's air travel needs. Too often, our region plans infrastructure assuming growth that is not consistent with the integrity of our region's environment and its residents' quality of life.
For additional info
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