Positions

By Ray Peterson

Dedicated, Experienced, Responsive, Innovative # Ray Peterson gets things done!

We must work smarter and reduce the costs of government.

Circulation and Transportation

Traffic
Sonoma County taxpayers have paid for the needed highway improvements in gas taxes. The monies collected by the state and federal governments should now be returned to build the 3rd lane and to extend on and off ramps to standard lengths. We should also be innovative in the spending of those funds; a small investment for longer merge lanes in Petaluma would greatly improve traffic flow. Southern Sonoma County projects should not remain at the bottom of the county transportation authority's priorities.

Improving US 101 is the first priority. It will substantially improve traffic flow however; the 101 improvements will not fix all our traffic problems. We need a focused circulation plan by the county and cities. The rural roads were not designed to handle the current volume of traffic. We need a joint Cities/ County Citizens Advisory Committee to create a joint cities/county traffic circulation plan.

Public Transit
Sonoma County, Golden Gate Bridge District, school districts and the cities all run independent bus routes. Unfortunately, none of their schedules mesh. The Sonoma County Transportation Authority could work to bring these bus schedules together so that public transportation is a realistic alternative to a much larger number of people. We cannot continue to run the County, Cities, Schools and Special Districts as if they were in a vacuum. Bus transportation is an example. County, Golden Gate transit, school districts and most cities run buses that are not coordinated as to schedules or routes. They are all owned by the taxpayers and should be made accountable to them.

Regional Air Transportation
Regional air transportation in Sonoma County is essential to maintaining a sustainable economy. As Chair of the Sonoma County Aviation Commission, I managed the first Airport General Plan through the approval process with regional airlines service as a goal. We must reassure the airline industry that their investment is a good risk. My intent is to re-establish regional air transportation at the Sonoma County Airport.

Rail
A sales tax is the only way to obtain rail transit and road maintenance. The taxpayers currently own the railroad track. We must take steps to get it operating. If freight trains were running, that would remove some of the long haul trucks from our roads and provide revenue for track maintenance. The proposed tax must be part of a comprehensive community program that addresses all transportation needs, including student and public transit, rail improvements, and local roads as well as the highways. The buses should be operated in a fashion that gives the voter/taxpayer confidence we can run a train system.

Youth
Education just in the school is not sufficient. We must engage youth in meaningful projects that give them experience at doing things they enjoy. Service learning, where students team with members of the community to do projects like cleaning up Adobe creek are examples. Business has partnered with Schools now we must bring county government to the table

We must provide more positive alternatives for youth. There were more youth groups in Petaluma in 1965 than there are now. People belong to gangs. We can establish positive ones for youth or they will create their own- some of which will not be agreeable with us.

Health Services
Health services are getting more and more expensive. Many people must use emergency rooms as their doctor. We must assure that hospital and medical services are available. Medical insurance must be available to all. We are blessed with a great hospital district in Petaluma. Medical professions vocational courses are being offered in some high schools. They are operated in conjunction with hospitals and medical practices so students get hands on experience. What if every high school graduate had completed CPR and first aid courses? What if those interested in learning more were trained EMT's, Emergency Medical Technicians? What impact would that have on future demands on medical facilities?

Flooding
The Petaluma River watershed is a big bowl. All the rain that falls into it is either absorbed into the ground or flows out the Petaluma River. As grasslands are replaced with more impervious surfaces-roofs and pavement-more runoff occurs. New development must provide zero increased runoff; retention and percolation basins should be required to maintain or improve the situation.

Water
There is no measure of the actual water supply. Ground water in parts of the county is decreasing, the diversion from the Eel River is in jeopardy, and gravel mining is reducing the amount of storage and natural filter. Each general plan should include a Water Element. The extent of the filter reduction can be directly observed by the increased presents of chlorine in your drinking water. How many days can you taste it? Are they not more often?

Water Shortage
Gravel mining removes the natural water filter for our drinking water. It also silts up what's left reducing its water storage capacity. For over 25 years, scientists have been warning us that mining the drinking water filter would cause permanent damage, forcing a switch from natural filtration to a cost prohibitive water treatment facility. In November 2000 the state Department of Health found the drinking water intake system for Sonoma County to be failing due to "impaired aquifer infiltration." We must phase out of all in stream gravel removal.

Growth
Growth must be no more than a sustainable level. We cannot keep building faster than the roads, schools, sewer, and water supply can support. Continued growth outside the Urban Growth Boundaries is not what the voters agreed to. Do you want continued unlimited growth for the sake of growth OR sustainable growth within the limits of our ability to provide services?

Economy Vitality
Sustainability should be a General Plan theme. Boom building, without sufficient roads, sewers, water supply, and schools, followed by panic to fix these problems, must be replaced with a sustainable process in which infrastructure is planned for and occurs as needed. Internet access, open space, recreational and educational opportunities must be available. We have few new problems; we keep building ourselves into the same old ones.

Affordable Housing
All developments should include affordable and starter homes through out the project with transportation, shopping, and social services readily available. One need only look at how the original Sonoma County towns were laid out with small and large homes side by side to see how well it works. Also, areas with urban services, zoned for housing, business or industrial use should be zoned multiple use. Burbank Housing and Petaluma Ecumenical Projects are great programs that should be supported and expanded.

Homelessness
Education, medical and social services along with job skills will provide long-term reductions in homelessness. Shelters, therefore, must be near these services. Some Sonoma County homeless are employed, temporary farm workers. Housing for these workers close to their places of employment is appropriate. Also, county services can be mobile.

Living Wage
Everyone who works is entitled to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Full time continuous jobs supported by our tax money should not create situations where people are dependent on welfare and other social programs. The program must include some flexibility to allow students and other entry-level workers to gain training and experience.

Open Space and Recreation
Open Space money should be spent on property in the path of development. There needs to be more South County Open Space areas. We are not getting the biggest bang for the public money spent # with little or no public access for recreation. Green belts should be created around the cities' Urban Growth Boundaries. Purchases should support recreation.