Testimony in front of CA Redistricting Committee

Support Greg

Greg's Email List

Saturday, 14 May 2011 22:23

Thank you for allowing me to speak at the hearing and to send you these comments. As I mentioned, in addition to being on the City Council in Cathedral City, I am 2^nd Vice President of the Southern CA Association of Governments.

While I am not writing as representative of SCAG’s comments, I do feel it is important to have that perspective. SCAG is the six-county Metropolitan Planning Organization, representing Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial counties. As such, it is our responsibility to draft the Regional Transportation Plan, the Regional Housing Needs Assessment numbers and many other multi-county reports and plans. SCAG was also the agency that was the legal entity that formed the Salton Sea Authority.

I contend that Interstate 10 and CA Hwy 86 are central connections for our area and that CA Hwy 60 (at the Banning/Beaumont Pass) should be considered the dividing line for districts.

Each geographic area that is successful economically must have the proverbial 3-legged stool of financial drivers. For our area those would be 1) tourism, 2) agriculture and 3) alternative fuels. The Coachella Valley has historically been a tourist destination in the western section and is connected to Imperial County by agriculture in the eastern section. Alternative fuels are based in both areas; wind and solar in the Coachella Valley and geothermal in Imperial. The eastern Riverside County city of Blythe is also heavily agricultural in nature.

Additionally, we have a coalition of economic organizations that have worked together for years; the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership, Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation and the Mexicali Valley. The three valleys collaborate on a number of issues dealing with economic factors and occasionally transportation.

I would suggest that the Congressional district be Imperial County and eastern Riverside County from Blythe to the Banning/Beaumont/Calimesa Pass. The Assembly district would probably need to be split to accommodate population and voting rights issues; so I propose one district in Imperial County coming north to include the Coachella Valley cities of Blythe, Coachella, Indio and La Quinta along with all the unincorporated areas (Washington would be the boundary line) The second Assembly seat would run westward from Washington and include the cities of Indian Wells, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City, Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Banning, Beaumont and Calimesa, along with all the unincorporated areas.

Furthermore, the commission should be aware, regardless of the outcome of your deliberations, the City of Cathedral City is in the process of finalizing the expansion of our sphere of influence to include all of the unincorporated area of Thousand Palms east to Washington Avenue. We would appreciate it if Cathedral City and Thousand Palms remained in the same district, however the final map looks.

Thank you very much. I am available for any other questions.