TreePeople Endorses Prop 1 and Prop P

October 30, 2014

Still wondering how to vote in next week’s election? Read on to see TreePeople’s Board Chairman Ira Ziering give an update on where we stand as an organization on the key propositions on the ballot and why you should vote yes on Prop1 and Prop P.

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Greetings,

I am writing to ask that you Join TreePeople in supporting State Proposition 1 and County Measure P on November 4th.

For more than 40 years TreePeople has been demonstrating the power of direct citizen action to physically improve the beauty, health and sustainability of our city. Our small staff has mobilized hundreds of thousands of Angelenos to become physically engaged with the task of greening our yards, streets and neighborhoods. TreePeople volunteers have lifted shovels, pushed wheelbarrows, hoisted seedlings and rotated compost and in doing so have redefined the standard for what it means to be an involved citizen. 

Now we are asking you to exercise your political power. Los Angeles and California are in the midst of an unparalleled drought crisis and TreePeople urges you to support two ballot initiatives we see as essential to a sustainable Los Angeles.

Proposition 1 ­ The Water Bond

Proposition 1 will provide desperately needed investments in groundwater clean-up, water conservation and efficiency programs and in the creation of an unprecedented statewide water storage system. Our current antiquated infrastructure is both a financial and environmental disaster. We spend billions on importing and distributing scarce water while also spending hundreds of millions dealing with the consequences of the (free) rain that flows down our streets and eventually pollutes our beaches and ocean. We cannot sustain this. TreePeople has long advocated the need for a comprehensive renewal of our infrastructure. Proposition 1 will not alone assure that we have solved our water crises but it is a big, timely and vital step forward.

Proposition P ­ Parks and Water Measure

In 1992 LA county voters approved the Safe Neighborhood Parks Measure, which has contributed $54 million annually to the upkeep and expansion of the county’s neighborhood and regional park system. 70 million people a year use these parks and, as state and federal support for them has dwindled, these funds have been a critical lifeline. The 1992 Measure will expire in November 2015. Proposition P is designed to replace and also update it with an increased emphasis on projects designed to enhance water quality, on plans targeting currently “park-poor” areas and on projects that will provide jobs for local youth. Thoughtfully re-engineering our city in accord with both our human and environmental needs has been the foundation of TreePeople’s philosophy. Proposition P is a reflection of the same belief, and we endorse it with enthusiasm.

As an organization long devoted to leading citizens to direct action it is a departure for TreePeople to become so directly engaged in endorsing particular political measures. We recognize however that to achieve our vision we must activate our supporters to become engaged citizens in the fullest sense. Propositions 1 and P are necessary and reasonable steps forward to a better, greener future for our city and state. Please join TreePeople in giving these Propositions your full support on November 4th.

For more information,  visit yesonprop1.org and protectparksandwater.com.

 

Thank You,

iraSig

 

 

 

 

Ira Ziering

Board Chair

TreePeople

By Jessica Jewell

Jessica is TreePeople’s Director of Marketing and Communications. A native Southern Californian, you can find her wandering local trails, hanging out with her sidekick, Penny the Rescue Puppy, on her yoga mat, reading some Phillip K. Dick, or in her kitchen cooking up vegan confections.

Jessica's professional background goes back to her time working at PETA where she worked on celebrity campaigns, and a stint in the entertainment industry, where she worked at Technicolor on their Global Marketing Team.