Countdown to the Election

Position Paper

Grading Ordinance

This paper is being written to explain my position with respect to regulating grading on public and private lands within the unincorporated areas of Merced County. My limited research on the topic leads me to believe that a grading ordinance would establish standards for grading, including filling and excavation activities, and for the construction of in-ground structures in order to:

1.      Minimize hazards to life and property (such as airborne particulate matter);

2.      Protect against soil erosion and the degradation of watercourses from nutrients, sediments or other earth materials;

3.      Protect the safety, use and stability of public rights-of-way and drainage courses;

4.      Protect drainage courses and watercourses from obstruction, and protect life and property from the destructive effects of flooding;

5.      Protect fish, wildlife and their habitats and promote the retention and restoration of riparian (riverbank) vegetation;

6.      Protect against the destruction of cultural resources and human burials.

7.      Ensure that the intended use of a graded site would be consistent with the Merced County General Plan and any applicable specific plan.

Some of the disadvantages include:

1.      Construction or project delays consistent with the evaluation, approval, and permitting process.

2.      Costs to the County for management and enforcement of such an ordinance.

3.      Cost and time of litigation around issues relating to such an ordinance.

Based upon my understanding of the issue at this time, it would make sense to support an effort to create such an ordinance. I would always be willing to listen to arguments “for” and “against” such an ordinance and would rely heavily on my professional negotiation and problem solving skills to help our community come to agreement.

Thank you for the opportunity to address the issue!

John S. Alexander

Candidate for Merced County Supervisor,

District Two

It was pointed out to me today that it isn’t really clear WHY I am choosing to run for office. To me, the reason is extremely clear: opportunities. The “career” candidate states he should be elected because of all of his experience. Experience accomplishing what?  Merced County has one the highest foreclosure rates in the State. We lead the State in unemployment and have some of the least educated people. Our health status reports continually run in the lowest rankings. Why? What has been to to address ANY of these issues? Do we want to continue down this path? I say NO…It’s time to shake things up, and I’m just the guy to do it! We have a MAJOR healthcare corporation investing $160 million dollars in our community: They understand the potential for success in Merced County. We have UC Merced growing and flourishing in our back yard…THEY understand the value in investing in Merced County. We have extremely successful agribusiness in our county: responsible for feeding a significant portion of the world. Why aren’t we channeling our energy into integrating and supporting the successful portions of our county? If elected, that’s EXACTLY what I will do…

The weather has cleared. Today’s agenda included meeting with Senator Feinstein’s staff, but as we were leaving, Diane Feinstein herself showed up and we had a chance to thank her for her support and get a photo with her. We met with Congressman Cardoza’s staff and made real headway on healthcare issues. the high point of the day was when Congressman Cardoza met up with us and we had a chance to meet with Democratic Whip, James E. Clyburn. he told us of his support, as his district has many of the same infrastructure issues as Merced County.

Today was the first set of meetings representing Merced County with the MCAG One Voice Committee. We met with Senator Boxer’s staff on HPSA designations and Medi Cal reimbursement rates. We met with Congressman Cardoza’s staff on Transportation issues and have many more meetings planned for the days ahead.

I am leaving today for Sacramento and our plane leaves tomorrow morning for Washington DC. I am part of a delegation representing Merced County on such topics as water,transportation, economic development, and of course, healthcare. I’ll update the weblog as the trip develops.

Saturday, March 29th

Well, we can sure tell the election is “around the bend”. I got a call today from the Merced Associated Democrats offering to allow me to participate in their “Candidate’s Night”. I was excited and honored in the same breath! Then they told me the date…April 24th at 7:15 pm! That is right in the middle of a very important trip to Washington DC. I’ll be back there with a group of people representing Merced County on a variety of topics, and there is NO WAY I can jeopardize that trip. I asked if I can have someone else attend and make a prepared statement for me, and they said they will get back to me…

There is such a thing as “good government” and we need to strive to attain that status in Merced County. When citizens are allowed to contribute to the vision, they are likely to bond with community leaders. Inclusion is both beautiful and RIGHT. The work of government then becomes redemptive and a healing process between specialty groups, caring individuals and government entities can begin.

ABC 30 has invited me to participate in a side-by-side guide, with website links and a 5 minute filmed presentation statement. It will be interesting to see who participates and how much success the idea has. I’ve noticed that there is not a lot of activity on my website or the blog and I wonder why?

I moved to Merced County because it seemed like a great place to buy a home and raise a family. Almost 20 years later, my personal vision has not changed. Even though we have been plagued with challenges, Merced County residents still see the value in remaining here. My vision for the future would be to have thousands of individuals that feel the same way as I do. We do this by investing in our future. This will take a major cultural change for the leadership of Merced County, who spend a great deal of their time resolving short-term matters and immediate crises. Please understand, there SHOULD be time spent on short-term matters and immediate crises, but there needs to be a dedicated effort to invest in the future. Quite frankly, our leadership is making strides in that area: UC Merced and the new Hospital being built by Catholic Healthcare West are examples of “thinking about the future”. But (and you know I’m going to say it) “What Now?”. We can certainly invest MORE in our future by helping CHW get trauma center status! We can invest MORE by helping bring a medical school to UC Merced! And this is just the tip of the iceberg. I see the Merced of 2020 on the same level as Davis, California: where the people ride bikes around town, and it’s difficult to tell where the university begins and the community ends.

Thursday, March 27th

I had a chance tonight to meet with a very diverse group of individuals representing the California Central Valley Journey for Justice. They were kind enouhg to invite me to their meeting and group discussion. I was impressed that a diverse group of concerned citizens was meeting regularly to discuss news topics and their local impact. The article discussed suggested that corporate America plays a significant role in the global warming crisis. There was a healthy discussion of the topic and possible ideas or recommendations to help alleviate some of the problems. What I learned tonight was that challenging work adds meaning to our lives. It is important to balance our jobs and family lives with some long term work that is out of our usual sphere of influence.