Interview with Senator Kevin de León

By CSDA ADMIN posted 08-02-2018 03:08 PM

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California Special Districts interviewed Senator Kevin de León, representing Senate District 24, on his park bond measure and how it affects special districts in California.

Could you provide an explanation of the park bond, Proposition 68, and your motivation for carrying this out?
I was motivated by the enormous disparities in access to open spaces between rich and poor communities across California. We also have incredibly challenging water issues in California, which will be exasperated by climate change in the very near future. So I set out to put together a bond measure that addresses a number of issues, including park access, repairs to existing park resources, flood control and water quality and preserving our water resources.

What are CSDA members saying about Prop 68, the park bond and water bond related issues?

Read the perspectives from some of our park and recreation district members.

Patrick Larkin, District Administrator for Cordova Recreation and Park District in Sacramento County supports proposition 68 and explains that at a time of aging park infrastructure and a high demand for quality parks from current and future residents, this bond will help our neighborhoods in providing an enhanced quality of life by replacing amenities and updating parks that are in need to provide safe, fun places for our residents to gather and play. Our parks play a vital role in the fabric of the community and by having additional funding to improve and update the parks, everyone wins.

A Letter from the Desert Recreation District

First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge and thank Senator de Leon (SB5) and Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (AB18) for recognizing and acting to ensure local agency funding to address water and park infrastructure needs throughout California. The parks and recreation community has been working with our legislators for several years with the goal of seeing a park bond placed before California voters. It has been nearly two decades since the last true park bond, Proposition 40, was passed in 2002. While Proposition 68 falls short of a true park bond with nearly 75% being dedicated to projects other than parks it’s a fantastic start.

Understandably, some will win and some will lose with Prop 68. There is some disagreement within the parks and recreation community on the allocation of funding within the $1.3 billion that is dedicated to parks. Many park and recreation professionals would have preferred a much larger per capita allocation which is set a $200 million versus the many competitive grant programs and special carve outs for specific projects. However, the parks allocation in Proposition 68 attempts to “level the playing field” for underserved communities and less densely populated rural communities that have not fully benefitted from past bond measures as is the case for large urban population centers.

For our community, the Coachella Valley in eastern Riverside County, Prop 68 tackles many of the pressing issues that must be addressed such as Salton Sea Management, safe drinking water, and rural low-income park deficient communities. Management of the receding Salton Sea is one of those carve outs ($200 million) that is critical to the health of our community both physically and economically. Safe drinking water is also a critical health factor for many of our residents living in areas dependent on well water with high levels of arsenic as there only supply.

The Coachella Valley is home to many small rural communities that support the valleys agriculture and service industries. Many have very limited or no access to park facilities within their own communities. Spread out geographically and with limited access to transportation, Prop 68 will at least give us a shot at providing a higher level of service than currently exists. For that I am grateful the playing field has been leveled and the Coachella Valley can legitimately compete for funding our communities’ parks and recreation infrastructure needs.

As for the water bond slated for the November 2018 ballot, it does appear to target a different set of issues; and to my knowledge, parks are not a significant part of the initiative. However, as with Prop 12, Prop 1, and Prop 84 local parks have benefitted through competitive grants that support the goals of the water bond measure and align with parks and recreation projects that protect and preserve storm water, habitat, natural areas, environmental education and more.

Kevin Kalman, General Manager Desert Recreation District

How will the funds be allocated? What areas of the State will benefit from this more?
This is the first bond of its kind in this state that focuses on building social equity. It was designed to make sure all Californians – regardless of political affiliation or zip code – have access to green parks, clean water, and a healthy local environment. Prop 68 will benefit every corner of the state, including Lake Tahoe and the Salton Sea and every local community in between. With this funding, local governments throughout the state will have the resources to repair, improve and expand their park spaces. The bond will also provide critical resources to better utilizing existing water resources and help improve water quality, which is vitally important in many communities across the state.

What interaction do you foresee Prop 68 having with the water bond in November 2018?
As for the proposed November bond, that measure is constructed differently and is focused solely on water resources. It’s more than double the size of Prop 68 at $9 billion, and addresses a completely separate set of issues.

You are running for senate; what changes are you looking to make?
America’s prosperity was built on the strength of our working and middle classes. We don’t succeed when a few at the top do well while everyone else struggles to get by. I believe that every American deserves a fair shot and that everyone should do their fair share. The folks at the very top don’t need another champion in Washington. The people who need a champion in Washington, D.C. are the hardworking men and women I meet every day who are trying to make a life for themselves and their families. My sense of accomplishment will come if those people feel that I am truly and honestly representing them and fighting for them in the nation’s capital. My immediate priorities would be to work hard to elect a new Democratic President and gain a progressive majority in both houses. Also, it is critical that we fully fund the 2020 Census effort to ensure working class communities and children are not undercounted and California gets its fair share. Republicans and Democrats alike in D.C. have been dragging their feet on comprehensive immigration reform. Being the most diverse state in the nation, and home to the largest immigrant population, California must lead the way. Finally, I want to pass Medicare-for-All and create a national clean energy plan – just like we’ve done here in California – that will strengthen our national economy and create new, good-paying jobs for everyone.

What is your approach on the water issues in California?
Water policy is a centerpiece of the state’s environment and economy. The actions taken in D.C. have a major impact on California and Californians. Unfortunately, our current Senior Senator from California has a 1960’s approach to water policy in a 21st century world that includes increasingly limited public funds and climate change. I support, and have made it a hallmark of my work in the legislature, a policy hierarchy as follows:

Water conservation and efficiency
Groundwater protection and restoration
Clean drinking water for disasdvantaged communities and all communities
Investments in stormwater, recycled water, and other options that allow us to use the water we have more effectively

I authored SB 5 (now Prop 68 on the June 2018 ballot) that allocates funds for these and other purpose.

I also think our federal agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers need to begin to take into account climate change and to look at more resilient ways to manage California’s flood and water system. A good example of this would be the work I have done to restore the LA River to a riparian habitat that can become a major new recreational resource for Southern California and a flood and water resource as well.

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