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About Doug
Occupation: Santa Cruz Real Estate, Businessman, Internet Developer, Executive Director/Founder, Monterey Bay Conservancy, An IRC 501(c)3 environmental nonprofit focusing on sustainable use of community resources (please see www.montereybayconservancy.org and www.pogonip.org ) email: ddeitch@pogonip.org, Phone:(831) 476-7662 Age: 61 Address: 501 Mission St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Education & Qualifications: B.A. (W/Distinction) Stanford University ('73), J.M., Stanford University Law School ('74). Member-Participant Environmental Council, Coast Dairies Advisory Co-Chair Curriculum Development Committee- Watsonville "New Millennium High School Project" Former Member, Sierra Club, Former Member, Aptos/Capitola Chambers of Commerce
Balance for a Self-Sustaining Community We need to implement a vision of a more diversified and improved economic, social, and environmental model for our county and region. As is readily apparent to those of us who have lived here for a period of time, our social and natural systems are being overburdened and are failing. This failure manifests itself most obviously in our clogged schools, roads, courts, jails, housing, and more subtly in our natural systems. Our community and region, which has long been almost entirely economically dependent on the engines of agriculture and tourism, can no longer afford the social and environmental costs of the level and kind of activity, particularly in agribusiness, that have developed. Our current economic and social model is not capable of being sustained. We are far exceeding and living way beyond the means of our community and region to support us. We must, as a community, first become aware of the serious and ruinous flaws in the way we are conducting “business” here, and then reevaluate and change our practices and model. Nowhere is this more obvious and critical than in our planning and use of our water supply. This resource, and its health and overwhelming importance to our region, has been seriously neglected for too long. Here in our region, our precious independent amply ground and surface waters, coupled with our remarkable lands and climate, create the foundation of our unique potential to be the global example of sustainability realized. These must be properly managed and be brought into balance. We have only been reactive to long term and serious abuse of this resource. A long-term, proactive, strategic, and Monterey Bay Area wide vision is required. Since agriculture uses more than 80 percent of our current countywide water overdraft, our vision must include agriculture’s diminished use. To accomplish this, antiquated state laws in our new and bleak California water reality like the Pajaro Valley Water Management Act must be repealed, and a new state law and regional agency created. Our new vision must be less water, chemical, and migrant labor intensive. Agricultural production will and must lessen. However, compensatory and replacement revenue production and living wage jobs and housing will be provided to our community by the new and third economic engine of “intellectual property development” which we can now see growing here. This will be our salvation. A new kind of migrant laborer is here in our community, and there will be more of them coming. However, instead of packing berries in a carton and living with 25 in a basement in Watsonville, this new migrant is packing electrons on a CRT and creating the potential of hundreds of millions of dollars of new green and clean revenue to replace the diminished agricultural revenue. The growth and development of our new educational, research and other resources – particularly relating to our oceans and Monterey Bay, like UC Santa Cruz, CSU Monterey, Cabrillo College, Long Marine Laboratory, Fort Ord Reuse—must be nurtured to provide the facilities and development for these new migrants and their economic activities…but let’s do it in Watsonville where there is ample space and need for this economic development. This is the new type of diverse economic activity we must employ to bring our community into a more reasonable balance and assure our continued prosperity. A good and wise investor always has a diversified portfolio. Our community is no different. Let’s wise up here. When the rain is scarce, let’s have something solid and vital to fall back on. Let’s try living within our local social and environmental means and be gentle with our Earth here. We in this region, perhaps alone in the world, can be water and resource self-sufficient and environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable in a vibrant, local and diversified economy and society. This is a truly unique and incredible blessing in the world today, and it is our duty as a community in the world to make the most of this incredible opportunity, and to make our community the exemplar.
An Open Letter To My Third District Neighbors-May 7th, 2010 Dear Fellow Community Members, Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to discuss with you why I am running for the Santa Cruz Supervisor position for the fifth consecutive time, after over 40 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 30,000, compared to San Francisco's 810,000. 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. 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. Among the candidates, I believe I am the only one with 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 Third District Supervisorial 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 8th. Doug Doug has been active and committed to growth management and water issues, tackling these difficult and important regional concerns over the past 25 years. He has a long standing track record of public service, the desire to make a contribution, and involvement in our community. Below are highlights of Doug’s community activities, efforts, and projects, commencing in 1976 with his application, at age 27 (after a 6 year residency here) for the public member position at LAFCO. 1. (2000-2010) Ran on water, in Aptos, in 2004 and 2008. Prosecuted continuosly for ground water emergency. Advocated my solution -- Our Inconvenient Truth (PDF) -- Watsonville High School and annexation efforts of Watsonville. Coastal Commission appearances, Sacramento and Monterey contacts for new water agency, Anti Santa Cruz County Water District desalination efforts, etc. 2. (1999-2000) Active regionally in the planning/visioning processes for Coast Dairies Ranch, Vision Pajaro, and Seacliff Area. I believe that there are two main differences between myself and the other candidates. First, I already have demonstrated an accurate long term vision of and history of successful and insightful participation and accomplishment in our community's most important and critical projects and problems. Second, due to my longevity here (30+ years), my (again, accurate) perception of our community's continuous decline, my desire to remain here, and my belief that I have workable solutions to our problems, I consider seeking this supervisorial seat not primarily as "an opportunity" (as I believe my other candidates view this), but rather as a duty and obligation of my service I offer to my community in return for the quality of life I have been able to enjoy here and hope to be able to continue enjoying here. 3. (1995-2000) Ran for supervisor in 1995 on water, Watsonville High, establishing a "self-sustainable community", sustainable, managed growth...etc.. I have been continuously active in water issues (and other south county issues like annexation and new high school approval, as well) since the last election. I was active in opposition to Measure D (NOPE INITIATIVE), attended PVWMA and SCWD meetings, heightened awareness on water and other resource issues regionally through www.pogonip.org and articles I've written, prosecuted for a county groundwater emergency process commencement continuously before Board of Supervisors, culminating in Grand Jury Complaint. And, finally, proposed (in 1998) demand management local solution to our water crisis, which has been cited and recognized under "Conservation" in a May, 1998 USGS Technical Memorandum. 4. (1992-96) Accomplished, through Central Coast Associates, forty acre wetlands acquisition/preservation by the State of California of Willoughby Ranch (at the entrance to Zmudowsky Beach, Moss Landing Area) 5. (1991-1995) Designed the most highly traffic intersection in the county-Mission Street from Chestnut to King/Union Street. Took my proposal, which I designed myself at my expense, through city commissions and council. CALTRANS accepted my proposal and design and will pay for ($200,000+) bike lanes, bus stop/pullout, and extra lanes. 6. (1988-2000) Saved Historic Pogonip Clubhouse from demolition, offered to
restore building for the city in the context of a public benefit, non
profit, public access facility (rejected by city. I was only
respondent to city 7. (1987-1991) Proposed (then worked with Planning and Development Office at UCSC) tax credit, locally financed low income on campus student housing development concept. |
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