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“I’m running for election as the 5th District Supervisor for Sonoma County on June 5, 2012
to create and strengthen Safe, Healthy, and Thriving Communities throughout Sonoma County and especially focusing on the 5th District!
I would love to have your support!”
Issues Affecting Us:
Responsive County Government
Roadway & Water Services Maintenance
...GOT Potholes? WANT Repairs? Vote for Veronica, and call County Road Maintainence at 565-5100 or 938-2055. Protecting Our Environment & Encouraging Local Agriculture
Saving Our Parks & Increasing Open Spaces
Reforming Pensions & Open Bidding
In Depth:
Jobs, Economic & Climate Security: The “Cause for Change”
"These next few months and years are critical. We need
to make important changes now, both large and small,
to help recover and protect our economy & environment
for our children, future generations and ourselves.
More than just politics, I want to bring us all together to create optimal solutions. We CAN create a secure economy and future. Solutions are all around us. WE ARE the ones we are waiting for!" – Veronica "Roni" Jacobi
"It would be immoral to leave our grandchildren with a climate system spiraling out of control." - James Hansen
Veronica Jacobi is in a unique position to analyze our economic & environmental challenges and offer solutions. Veronica is a professional mechanical engineer specializing in energy and environmental management. She’s worked on environmental problems at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), PG&E and started her own energy conservation consulting firm. As always, the more community input the better, suggestions welcome to: VJacobi@sonic.net
This section addresses jobs and global warming and climate change. Members of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the co- recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, have stressed the critical nature of what is facing us, and that significant and increasing action must be taken now. The longer we delay, the more damage will be done. There is much that can be accomplished to address our local challenges and Greenhouse Gases at the same time.
Veronica Jacobi is widely acknowledged as an environmental expert. She’s running for election to most effectively continue creating the changes we need to make to preserve our quality of life for ourselves and future generations. She is committed to Job Creation while and THROUGH addressing Climate Adaptation, Resiliency, Security and Recovery. It is important that we do not sacrifice the future in our solutions for the present. That has been tried, and it has contributed enormously to our current problems.
Changes We Can Make Right NOW as individuals to save money immediately and make a difference for the future also!
- Walk, Bike, Ride the Bus, Combine Trips & Carpool
- Drive 55 mph or at the Lower Speed Limit
- Eat Local, Organic, Fair Trade & Home Garden Grown
- Turn Off Unused Lights & Appliances
- Monitor & Reduce Heating & Cooling Equipment
- Vacation Locally or Use Alternative Transportation
- Use Renewable Energy
- Reduce Consumption & Waste, Reuse, Recycle, Rot/Compost
- Switch to Energy Efficient Light Bulbs & Appliances
- Use Electric, Hybrid, High miles per gallon (mpg) & Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Vehicles
Veronica Jacobi's Jobs & Climate Security Plan for Our Area
1. Local Green Jobs & Economy: Work to attract and grow local “green” businesses and industries in Sonoma County and beyond. These are technology companies in a fast-growing global market for “green” solutions such as PV (solar) cells, wind conversion and geothermal, architectural and engineering services, cleansers, recycled building products, etc. With the right planning and leadership, we could be a new center for emerging Green-tech, just as the peninsula has become a center for bio-tech in the past decade. New technology means new skills and new good paying jobs that head us to a better present AND a better future!
2. Clean Renewable Energy: Shifts our energy sources from fossil fuels, oil and natural gas to clean, renewable sources like geothermal, solar, wind and other alternative technologies. Allow private development of renewable energy projects on public property in exchange for a long term power purchase agreement. Sonoma County and all our local Cities could leverage the program by providing low interest loans for renewable energy projects, plus a green jobs program to complement it. There are many cost effective possibilities with the right leadership.
3. Carbon Sequestration & Offsetting: Seek all possible ways to reduce our carbon footprint and generate a sustainable job market and sustainable economy. For example, continue switching government vehicles to hybrids, electric and biofuels, increasing multi-modal transit options, programs for carsharing, carpooling & bicycling to work, opting for special carbon-reducing plantings wherever we can on public lands, encouraging and supporting Community Gardens, entering agreements with green power developers to produce renewable energy on our public lands and properties, and imposing traffic impact fees on new developments to offset their effects.
4. Community Choice Aggregation (CCA): Enables local control over our energy sources to ensure they’re climate-friendly, safe, price-stable and renewable. Local power can mean significant local jobs development and money circulating in our communities instead of leaving to a corporate utility office. CCA is a new energy supply model that allows citizens to use local resources to reduce our carbon footprint, and generate local “green” energy jobs.
5. Water Conservation & Re-Use: Roll-out conservation guidelines for new building and home improvement projects. Permit Greywater and “Purple Plumbing” (treated water re-use) solutions for businesses and residences, encourage rainwater harvesting, and reduce the red tape surrounding these emerging technologies for those who want to use them responsibly.
6. Increased service and effective connections for Buses, SMART Rail, Car-shares, Walk & Bike Paths: Reduce our carbon footprint, get cars off highway 101, give residents alternatives to volatile gasoline prices. Make the small but vital investments to improve walk and bike paths, which will pay dividends for decades to come.
7. Zero Waste Initiative: Encouraging the county to Commit to helping all the Cities and all our County areas to sharply reduce and eventually eliminate landfill waste disposal through recycling and composting, combined with requirements for producer responsibility for toxic products, in the next 10-20 years. ---------
Please pardon the repetition from above. There are some additions we want to get to you without further delay.
1. Grow green local jobs: Combine environmental wisdom with community-based economics to attract “green” businesses that serve Sonoma County. These are technology companies in a fast-growing global market for “green” solutions such as technology to produce energy from PV (solar) cells, wind, and geothermal, innovative architectural and engineering services, safe cleansers, and recycled building products. With the right planning and leadership, we could be a new center for emerging Green-Tech, just as the Peninsula has become a center for Bio-Tech in the past decade. New technology means new skills and new good paying jobs that head us to a better present and a better future!
2. Lead Northern California in the shift to clean renewable energy: We will do this by jump-starting Sonoma Clean Power, a plan to purchase energy for county, commercial, and residential uses from clean, renewable resources. Our program will be modeled on community choice aggregation (CCA) in Marin County, and will shift our energy sources from fossil fuels and nuclear to clean, renewable sources such as geothermal, solar, and wind. It will enable local control over our energy sources and allow private development of renewable energy projects on public property in exchange for a long-term power purchase agreement and the eventual purchase of the projects. Sonoma County and all our cities and towns could leverage the program by providing low-interest loans for renewable energy projects, plus a green jobs program to complement them. Let’s demand clean energy now and move the County forward quickly on Sonoma Clean Power! Santa Rosa is a Solar America City partnering with Solar Sonoma County. National leadership is here and now!
3. Lower our collective carbon footprint through carbon sequestration, offsetting, and other measures: In 2009, 62 percent of our county greenhouse gas emissions came from transportation. We can reduce our carbon footprint in part by switching government vehicles from ones that run on gasoline to hybrids and to ones that run on biofuel. However, the changes that will make the most difference will be from the programs that help people walk and bicycle safely, participate in car share programs, carpool easily, and take pleasant and affordable buses and trains. There are models for these systems that we can replicate, starting with Marin County’s Go Geronimo. We should also opt for special carbon-reducing plantings wherever we can on public lands, encourage and support community gardens, and impose traffic impact fees on new developments to offset their effects
4. Conserve and re-use water:Roll-out conservation guidelines for new building and home improvement projects that will incentivize gray water and purple plumbing solutions for businesses and residences. Support rainwater harvesting and reduce the regulatory red tape surrounding these emerging technologies for those who want to use them responsibly. In the long run, we won’t just save water—we will also save money.
5. Move toward Zero Waste: San Francisco already has a zero waste goal for the year 2020. We can do that too. If we take the advice of the Sonoma Waste Advisory Group, we can eliminate landfills, save money, and create new jobs.
6. Move towards 100 percent local food production: Let’s expand our opportunities for localized production through community gardens, community vineyards, community pastures, and the support of locally-owned small farms and groceries. In addition, I support expanding opportunities for worker-owned cooperatives. Already there are models for these enterprises. Sonoma County is home to the worker-owned Alvarado Bakery, and in nearby Richmond, California, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin has been exploring the worker-owned cooperative models in Mondragon, Spain. We can do the same countywide.
7. Work with state senators and assembly members for the passage of state laws to enable the creation of municipal state and perhaps county banks: The existence of the State Bank of North Dakota, the only state run bank in the country, has helped that state weather the recession. Other California counties are already investigating the creation of county and municipal banks as alternatives to the large corporate banks where many local governments currently invest, and we should do the same. Climate resiliency and financial resiliency can go hand in hand.
8. Work with experts on crime prevention and gangs to assist our youth and prevent recidivism:We should expand successful programs that are already in place and that create jobs.
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National Organizations
350.org works on getting Co2 or Carbon equivalent levels back down to 350 ppm. This is the level of emmissions
that is considered a safe level. Unfortunately we went above 350 ppm and at the 10/10/10 event, the largest global day of action ever, our levels were approximately 390 ppm.
Please check out this inspiring group and join Veronica in participating and/or planning for future local actions in conjunction with them!
http://350.org/
The Campus Climate Challenge is a project of more than 30 leading youth organizations
throughout the U.S. and Canada. The Challenge leverages the power of young people to
organize on college campuses and high schools across Canada and the U.S. to win 100%
Clean Energy policies at their schools. The Challenge is growing a generation-wide
movement to stop global warming by reducing pollution from our high schools and
colleges to zero, and leading our society to a clean energy future.
http://climatechallenge.org/
The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization founded on May 28, 1892
in San Francisco, California by the well-known preservationist John Muir, who became
its first president. The Sierra Club has hundreds of thousands of members in chapters
located throughout the United States.
http://sierraclub.org/
The 1Sky Campaign is dedicated to aggregating a massive nationwide movement by
communicating a positive vision and a coherent set of national policies that rise to
the scale of the climate challenge before us. The 1Sky campaign was created in
response to the collective urgency for nationwide environmental solutions by a diverse
group of determined leaders across the country. Our movement has many strengths,
audiences and organizing strategies – 1Sky is aggregating and magnifying our power to
positively address the urgent environmental issues of our nation.
http://www.1sky.org/about
Green Facts - facts on health and the environment
http://www.greenfacts.org/
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Local Organizations
The Climate Protection Campaign supports and accelerates the work of Sonoma County,
cities and towns within the County, and other partners in measuring and reducing their
greenhouse gas emissions. Many individuals participate with the Sonoma County Climate
Protection Campaign - local elected officials, County and city staff, teachers,
students, business people, activists, and concerned citizens.
http://www.climateprotectioncampaign.org/
Daily Acts is a Sonoma County organization that publishes Ripples journal and does
sustainability tours that are informative, educational and inspiring.
http://www.daily-acts.org/
The Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County is a meeting space for many local peace
and social justice groups. It has a video and book library where you can borrow books
and movies on a variety of topics.
http://www.peaceandjusticesonomaco.org/
Lite Initiatives is a Sonoma County organization with the mission to motivate
individuals, groups, businesses, and whole communities, to live lightly and more
efficiently. Their programs include Community Bikes, Car-Lite, Green Mentor, and Zero
Waste. Community Bikes is a Santa Rosa used bike shop that refurbishes bikes for reuse
and teaches people to fix their own bikes.
http://liteinit.org/
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Food
Laguna Farms is a “beyond organic” farm in Sebastopol that has a Community Shared
Agriculture (CSA) program that provides members a weekly box of seasonal produce.
http://www.lagunafarm.com/
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Energy Audits
The Home Energy Saver is designed to help consumers identify the best ways to save
energy in their homes, and find the resources to make the savings happen. The Home
Energy Saver was the first Internet-based tool for calculating energy use in
residential buildings. The project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
as part of the national ENERGY STAR Program for improving energy efficiency in homes.
http://hes.lbl.gov/
Carlton Homes, located in Santa Rosa, is committed to helping customers save energy,
save money and save our planet Earth. In this spirit they have created the “Home Energy
Makeover” service. The Home Energy Makeover service is an evaluation of present energy
performance of the components, interior and exterior, of your home – and is the first
step to getting the most energy savings for your investment.
http://carltonhomes.biz/index.shtml
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Movies
From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects
communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of
Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production
and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge
number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more
sustainable and just world. You will learn, you will laugh, and you just might change
the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.
http://storyofstuff.com
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JOBS & Clean Renewable Energy
As a professional
engineer and energy
conservation consultant,
I know that renewable energy options
like solar and wind power are the future
of Sonoma County’s energy planning.
We will gain greater energy
independence, reduce our dependence
on foreign oil and decrease our carbon
footprint. I am strongly in favor of Sonoma Clean Power
(based on the Community Choice Aggregation - CCA model following in Marin Clean Powers exciting footsteps) which
allows cities and counties to choose our own
energy sources. LET'S DEMAND CLEAN ENERGY NOW and move the County forward quickly
on Sonoma Clean Power!!
Santa Rosa is a Solar America City partnering with Solar Sonoma County. National leadership is here and now!
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Water, Forest & Coastal Protection
As a founding member
and former Chair of the
Sonoma County Water
Coalition, I have been a long-time
advocate for water conservation and
safeguarding our future local water
sources. I support Greywater and
“Purple Plumbing” (treated water re-use)
solutions and rainwater harvesting for businesses and residences.
We need to clean up the red tape
surrounding these issues and get these
systems operational for those who want to
use them responsibly. In the River area a lot of hard work has been done to solve very significant problems. I will be a champion for creative solutions and help. I will protect the Russian River
and work for solutions to reduce the risks of flooding.
Additionally, as a long time Board Member with Sierra Club and the Sonoma County Conservation Council I will strongly protect
our forests and Coast fishing and tourist industry. The incumbent's voting record on Syar gravel mining in the Russian River, and the Dutra asphalt plant at the Gateway to Sonoma County create big concerns over supporting big money over locals when
it comes to potential large forest conversions to vineyards.
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Better Health Care
Quality, affordable
healthcare is essential to
our continued success. We
cannot have “Safe, Healthy
and Sustainable Communities” if our
hospitals and health centers are closing
or limiting access, reducing locations
for women’s reproductive services, or
decreasing mental health services. We need
to look at how we can best ensure that our
emergency and preventive care needs are
being met, while not breaking the bank.
At the same time as we fix the safety net,
we should also be striving to offer the best
healthcare options for all our citizens.
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Responsive, Available, Efficient and Open County Government
The County and Cities have been very challenged in recent years
trying to cope with revenue shortfalls; more can and needs to be accomplished. We need PENSION REFORM NOW! I have proposed a cap on pensions. The cap could start at a set amount like $100,000, which is more than enough to retire on comfortably in most circumstances. Or the cap could be something like twice the average County resident's salary. Reductions could also be percentage based. It is very important to get reform started, to get our budget right and so employees can know they can depend on their retirement money being there for them.
We also need OPEN BIDDING on our Trash & Recycling contracts to get the best deal for our ratepayers, while also respecting benefits from our local providers.
By listening, being creative, efficient, responsive and cost-conscious, local government
can provide programs which enrich our lives.
I will continue to promote creative and smart policies and management
of government resources to maintain critical services and protect rate payer dollars.
I know we need to have our local goverment do better at doing more with less,
just like the rest of us are doing.
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Public Safety
I am committed to public safety, and will continue to work hard to
achieve and maintain effective law enforcement, fire and emergency services in every part of the county. I will continue to work with community and area groups to address neighborhood and community problems.
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Gang Prevention
These crimes we
hear about - mothers being
attacked in our shopping
centers and gang shootings on our streets -
disturb me greatly. These incidents are
horrifying and completely unacceptable.
When confronting Gangs and Crime,
I continue to advocate a two-pronged solution:
1) we must protect our communities from
criminals; and 2) we need to increase the effectiveness of community-based programs working with our young people to help them resist being recruited by gangs to prevent the
problems before they start.
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Housing
I continue to strongly advocate for more comprehensive planning in the area of affordable housing, ensuring that we build near schools, shopping and transit. In our River Community we need to protect local businesses that provide services too, to keep our villages serving residents, in addition to bringing in tourist dollars.
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Parks, Open Space, Agriculture & the Environment
Sonoma County is noted for natural beauty and quality of life. I will continue to work tirelessly to keep
public access to Parks & Open Spaces, and protect water resources and watersheds,
water and air quality, habitat and greenbelts.
It is critical to protect farmers and farmlands for food production. I want to develop incentives for crop diversity and organic agriculture, to improve our economy and create greater resiliency to deal with any economic or natural emergencies. Also, listening to, and cutting red tape for small farmers to increase their chances of success and help small farms thrive again in this fertile and temperate area.
I want to preserve our precious ridges, hilltops, vernal pools, wetlands, and wild areas for future generations
of people and wildlife. I initiated and spearheaded the Santa Rosa City Council putting the successful measure for continuing funding for our Open Space district on the ballot.
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Services
I tirelessly work to maintain and improve services for children, older persons,
people with disabilities, and those with limited incomes. It is a difficult challenge in
these economic times. I work with individuals, advocacy groups, organizations and
businesses that provide a better quality of life for those who need assistance.
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Roadway Maintenance & Transportation
I support money-wise responsible maintenance of our roadways, improved public transportation, comprehensive links to the SMART train, and more and safer pedestrian and bicycle routes. Increased evening and weekend buses should serve people working second shifts, people with disabilities, youths, students with late classes at SRJC and SSU, and those seeking social or other activities around town.
Many more of our neighborhoods' and regional roadway conditions, transit, traffic and parking issues can be resolved by bringing together county and city agencies and members of the impacted communities to develop solutions. I will continue to facilitate and encourage greater communication between all concerned, especially during the planning process, and continue to fight for increased funding from state and federal sources.
Rebuilding our deteriorated county roadways cost 7 to 15 times more than doing optimal maintenance. I would make optimal maintenance of roadways a TOP funding priority. Many roadways have been neglected too long and need to be rebuilt. I would evaluate these roadways treatment based on usage and level of “bang per buck” on repairs. I would support research and testing of new methods on roads that are too deteriorated for effective low cost maintenance, to figure out what will give us the best return on our money invested.
On a parallel track, in addition to the County's current Ad Hoc committee, I am supportive of a Volunteer Roadways Task Force with representation from EVERY community, welcoming input, to work as a team to address county roads. Possible tasks: a- to help prioritize which roads should be rebuilt first and b- how to get it done as quickly as possible. We would explore using social media to make it easier for us all to work together: residents, office holders, government workers as needed, businesses, non-profits. I would work to secure matching funds from Measure M and additional sources, and welcome Task Force support in this. There are liability issues to address for volunteer pothole brigades, but it MIGHT work, please see my article in the May Sonoma County Gazette or email me at VJacobi@sonic.net.
There are MANY examples of POOR spending on projects much less important than roadway maintenance, including parking lot funding. I will rank projects in return per dollar spent/ upstream funding and additional public good benefits. What I mean by this is, if spending $1 now on roadway maintenance, and that saves us $10 dollars on future costs, I will put that above improving a parking lot, even if that parking lot maintenance also saves us future costs of $10 for every $1 spent now. Smooth parking lots are a luxury when compared to roadway maintenance, which has much more serious safety considerations.
I support getting extra funding from businesses that have heavy truck traffic that wears our roads excessively.
I want to empower communities to create matching funds to speed their highest priority road rebuilding desires.
A similar app to “My Santa Rosa” taking resident roadway reports could also increase safety & efficiency and jumpstart improvements.
Supporting Local Businesses & "Big Box" Limits
Many of us appreciate the convenience of some existing "Big Box" stores, where we can go to one store, or a series of them in the same center, and get a wide array of choices at competitive prices.
Many of us also want smaller locally owned businesses to survive and thrive.
These smaller businesses are often located even closer to us, and we may have a pleasant history of superior
personal service and attention with these older businesses. There are many small and medium sized businesses
spread throughout our county that add to the character and uniqueness of our neighborhoods. Also, on
a dollar for dollar basis these locally owned stores provide greater economic benefit to the area because the
dollars they take in from sales usually
get recirculated in the community, whereas the "Big Box"
stores send their profits to corporate headquarters. I believe it is important that we protect local small
businesses from unbearable pressure from "Big Box" stores. I believe it is time to put some
limits on "Big Box" sprawl.
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Your Tax Dollars at Work
The Santa Rosa Junior College's parking garage is a good example of a project where community and student input, the JC, and city and county agencies could have united to provide for the needs of the students, nearby residents, and the commercial interests in the neighborhood to a higher degree.
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