Measure P: Q&A Round Three
Ed. Note – This post is one in a series of balanced articles and columns written to inform the electorate about the upcoming election on November 3rd when Davis voters will be asked to vote whether or not the agricultural land at Wildhorse Ranch should be converted to a housing development. Click HERE for our full coverage.
Over the past few weeks, readers of DavisVoice.com submitted questions that they wanted both campaigns on Measure P to answer. We chose six of those questions and edited them to the best of our ability to ensure fairness. Both campaigns were given 4 days to answer these questions with the only qualification being that they keep their responses to under a total of 1,200 words. This series of Q&A ran in 3 separate columns over the weekend. We’ll let you decide if we’ve provided an appropriately fair forum for the discussion this matter.
Today’s Questions:
5. Some have called Measure P a referendum for the Measure J process (in which voters must approve the re-designation of land currently designated as agriculture or open space). Is this a fair assessment? Why or why not?
6. Does the Measure J process benefit the Davis community? Please explain.
After the jump, find the answers to your questions.
5. Some have called Measure P a referendum for the Measure J process (in which voters must approve the re-designation of land currently designated as agriculture or open space). Is this a fair
assessment? Why or why not?
No on P Response to Question 5:
Measure P allows Davis residents a say in how our community develops. Unfortunately, a majority on our City Council seem to favor development even though Davis has already exceeded its state mandated growth targets and even though we are in a housing downturn. Measure P allows citizens to take control of their community.
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Yes on P Response to Question 5:
First of all, the measure P project is within the city limits. The City Council does not have the authority to preclude a Measure J vote once a project has been approved as WHR was. In other words, it’s role at that point is merely ministerial in certifying the project for a vote.
This Measure P election both honors and trusts the intelligence of the Davis voters, as well as their commitment to populist democracy.
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6. Does the Measure J process benefit the Davis community? Please explain.
No on P Response to Question 6:
Emphatically, yes. The pressure to take relatively cheap ag land and turn it into much more lucrative housing is enormous and developers have a huge incentive to spend what it takes to push through more housing, even
when it is not needed. Measure J allows the voters to decide. It also gives the City more bargaining power because developers know that ultimately their project must be judged by the well-informed voters of Davis.
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Yes on P Response to Question 6:
Absolutely and unequivocally. In a perfect world Davis would be all things to all people, but unfortunately this is not a perfect world. There are always tradeoffs in major decisions like the ones that trigger the Measure J process. In those cases the Davis community benefits from both hearing about the tradeoffs and ultimately expressing its collective will about those tradeoffs.
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