Send a letter to your your Representative(s)

Here's a sample letter to send to your representatives.  Copy and Paste the text, change the names of the sender(s) and recipient(s), print it, and mail it or email it...heck, use it as a telephone script and call your elected official with it.

[DATE]


Dear [County Supervisor],
Dear [City Council Member],

I am a resident, voter and property owner in the Bay Area.  I have recently become aware of the One Bay Area Plan and the sweeping changes proposed for the Bay Area by ABAG and MTC to implement California State Senate Bill 375 and the State’s housing element laws.

I am outraged that the locally elected officials we have sent to represent us in this process have selected for adoption, an ABAG plan alternative (Option 2) that threatens our way of life, our property, our sacred values and our right to self-determination.   I support the no plan alternative (Option 1) which leaves planning to the local city and county authorities where it legally belongs.

This One Bay Area Plan sacrifices our future transportation and housing needs in favor of reducing carbon emissions and addressing climate change.  Truthfully, it achieves neither, while locking the 7 million people in the Bay Area into an expensive and ineffective one-size fits all “Solution” for the next 25 years, not taking into account the dynamic nature of technology and societal changes that make this type of planning obsolete before the ink is dry.

This One Bay Area Plan is not our choice.  It is a mandate to ruin our cities so they can be densified and then rebuilt as “livable”.  My city is very livable right now and we don’t want this draconian regional approach to planning foist upon us.

The Association of Bay Area Governments is a joint powers authority, created as a vehicle for regional coordination of inter-county issues.  County and City membership in ABAG is voluntary.  If you adopt this One Bay Area Plan you are voluntarily giving up your county’s and city’s rights to determine how best to address the future needs of your unique community.  Please provide your community with the necessary leadership to stand up for your residents and say ‘No!’ to the One Bay Area Plan in its current form.

ABAG and MTC have received repeated, strong objections to the forecasts underlying its planning process from numerous stakeholders over the past several years.  The counties and cities in the Bay Area need to determine their own independent sustainable communities strategies with ABAG and MTC acting solely in a coordination role. 

I am looking forward to your response on how you will represent your constituents on this issue and on regional issues in the future.

Sincerely,


[your name]
[your contact information]

CC: [editor(s) of your local newspaper(s)] & ABAG Public Relations

Contra Costa County-MTC Commmissioners-ABAG Members-City Council & Supervisors
As of March 5, 2013

MTC Commissioners

AMY REIN WORTH, Vice Chair
Representing Cities of Contra Costa County
Councilmember, City of Orinda
22 Orinda Way
Orinda, CA 94563
Phone: (925) 253-4200
Fax: (925) 254-9158
aworth@cityoforinda.org

FEDERAL D. GLOVER
Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
Pittsburg, CA 94565
Phone: (925) 427-8138
Fax: (925) 427-8142
dist5@bos.cccounty.us

ABAG EXECUTIVE BOARD - Contra Costa
Contra Costa County (4) two for the county; two for the cities

Primary
Supervisor Karen Mitchoff
Supervisor John Gioia
Mayor Julie Pierce (Clayton)
Councilmember Dave Hudson (San Ramon)

Alternate
Supervisor Candace Andersen
Supervisor Mary Piepho
Councilmember Brandt Andersson (Lafayette)
Councilmember Ben Johnson (Pittsburg)

COUNTY SUPERVISORS

www.contracosta.ca.gov/
651 Pine St., Room 107
Martinez, CA 94553
(925) 335-1900

District 1: Supervisor John M. Gioia
District 2: Supervisor Candace Andersen
District 3: Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho
District 4: Supervisor Karen Mitchoff
District 5: Supervisor Federal D. Glover

CITY GOVERNMENT

​City of Antioch
www.ci.antioch.ca.us/
(925) 779-7000

City of Brentwood
www.ci.brentwood.ca.us/
(925) 516-5400

City ​of Clayton
www.ci.clayton.ca.us/
(925) 673-7300

City of Concord
www.ci.concord.ca.us/
(925) 671-3158

Town of Danville
www.ci.danville.ca.us/
(925) 314-3329

City of El Cerrito
www.el-cerrito.org/
(510) 215-4305

City of Hercules
www.ci.hercules.ca.us
(510) 799-8200

City of Lafayette
www.ci.lafayette.ca.us/
(925) 299-3210

City of Martinez
www.cityofmartinez.org/
(925) 372-3500

Town of Moraga
www.moraga.ca.us/
(925) 888-7050

City of Oakley
www.ci.oakley.ca.us/
(925) 625-7000

City of Orinda
www.ci.orinda.ca.us/
(925) 253-4220

City of Pinole
www.ci.pinole.ca.us/
(510) 724-9000

City of Pittsburg
www.ci.pittsburg.ca.us/
(925) 252-6900

City of Pleasant Hill
www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us/
(925) 671-5270

City of Richmond
www.ci.richmond.ca.us/
(510) 620-6581

City of San Pablo
www.ci.san-pablo.ca.us/
(510) 215-3000

City of San Ramon
www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/
(925) 973-2530

City of Walnut Creek
www.walnut-creek.org/
(925) 943-5800