Time to double down

If there is one thing I have learned following politics and politicians, it is this; the world is run by those who show up.

I am sure it has been this way since the dawn of time. Those who show up, learn about the issues, know who makes the decisions, and know what motivates the decision makers and what does not, those are the people who can make real change happen. A bit of warning here, not all changes are for the better. Changes are made with all kinds of motivations, both good and bad.

For the average person these days, it is easy to get lost in the busy lives we live. I know I do. Between work, family, and volunteer activities, where are we supposed to find the time to 'show up'? Well folks, we better make time, because others people are showing up, and they may not have your best interest in mind. As a matter of fact, I am sure they have only one interest in mind, theirs.

I would like to personally thank everyone who showed up at the Yolo County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday to make it perfectly clear, we don't want this prison in our small towns. For residents in Esparto and the West Plainfield area, it seems they heard your message loud and clear. As much as I would like to say we have won this battle, to keep a prison that obviously needs to be in an urban setting out of Esparto and West Plainfield, the County still wants to approve the site in Madison.

For residents of Esparto, Dunnigan, Zamora, West Plainfield and other in rural Yolo County, this is not the time to relax, this is the time to do more research into this County's process of picking the 'recommended sites'. Did the County offer any of the incorporated cities a share of the 30 million dollars from the State? I hear a lot of talk from the Supervisors about how this prison will have a positive affect on the community. Okay, since they have publicly stated that the 30 million dollars from the state will be spent however, and on whatever the County chooses, why not cut a deal and share this money with one of cities?

Is it the facility that you want in Yolo County or the 30 million dollars? I think it’s the latter, and if you can stick the prison in a rural part of the County where your constituents don't have to see it or live next to it, all the better.

I keep hearing that these proposed sites are already zoned for commercial or industrial uses and the people in these small towns will have to deal with something being built on these parcels. This is true. A hardware warehouse, a manufacturing company or a commercial nursery is one thing; a prison is something else entirely. I am certain if the Supervisors had advised the residents of Esparto, Madison and West Plainfield in advance, one of the things that could be built with this zoning is a 500-inmate prison, they would have soundly rejected it.

We all need to 'show up' at the next Supervisors meeting to make our voices heard once again. The Madison site is a terrible choice for the prison, too far from the jobs, the volunteer base etc, etc. The only compelling reason for the Supervisors choosing Madison over the other two sites is there are fewer voters in Madison. I will try to schedule that day off so I can be there. I hope you will too.

We need to also show up and support our hometown citizen's advisory committees. Learn about what is going on with our government; make our elected officials more accountable to us, those they are supposed to represent. For everyone whose eyes are being opened wide by this process I give you this advice; stay involved, stay informed, and show up. Your community will be better for it.