Sierra Club says vote no on Measure P

The nation’s largest and oldest grassroots community-based environmental organization, and one of the country’s earliest and consistent voices for parks, Sierra Club, announced its recommendation for voters related to an important ballot measures that the citizens of the County of Los Angeles will consider on November 4.

Sierra Club has voted to oppose Los Angeles County ballot Measure P that claims to be a parks protection measure, but has troubling provisions that do not support environmental justice or sufficient safeguards for genuine acquisition and protection of greatly-needed park and natural open spaces in one of the country’s most dense population areas.

Hillary Gordon, Chair of the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter’s Conservation Committee, summed up the concerns of the Club. “We need parks and natural open spaces for everyone!  The inequities both in the
tax mechanisms, as well as in the spending plans need more attention before Sierra Club can support such a measure.”

Sierra Club’s concerns about Measure P include:  

Inequitable distribution of funds and projects; park poor and economically disadvantaged communities not getting their fair share. Supervisor Ridley-Thomas’s original opposition when a 3-2 vote of the Supervisors placed this on the ballot was based on this aspect.   A County Parks official informed the Sierra Club that there were no possible land parcels available for acquisition in the inner city areas, which Sierra Club disagrees with.

Concern that too much money would be spent on buildings and administration and the like, rather than on acquisition and preservation of green and open space

Concern over Prop. P being a flat parcel tax rather than a more equitable proportional tax.

Concern that some funds could/would be used for destruction (read bulldozing and reengineering) of some open space areas, like the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve.

Prop P should have had more specific targets: specific parks and open spaces targeted for funding and acquisition (as was done with the original Prop A parks measure)

Sierra Club leaders expressed concern that the County ought to have worked with stakeholders (including Sierra Club) much sooner to be sure all concerns were addressed.   Club leaders ask that the electorate help defeat Measure P, and that the next L.A. County Board of Supervisors – with two new Supervisors being seated soon - reach out to the Sierra Club so a better parks measure can be crafted.

“Our message is strong and clear.  Vote ‘no’ on LA County ballot measure P,” George Watland, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Director, says. “We want more park and open spaces, and we want any related funding sources to be equitable and clearly for nature and for park space to make Los Angeles more livable, not just for big construction companies wanting to take advantage of the public’s desire for more parks. We look forward to working with the County in the future for funding for park and natural open space protection, with environmental and economic justice considerations taken into account.”