• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Valley Citizen

Nature, Environment, History & Politics

The Valley Citizen

  • Arts
  • Education
  • Environment
  • History
  • Nature
  • Politics
  • Wit
  • About
  • RSS Icon

LAFCo: Your Tax Dollars at Work—For the Asphalt Empire

August 11, 2012 By Eric Caine 6 Comments

Denny Jackman

At every LAFCO meeting they put out a stack of pamphlets entitled “What is LAFCO?” Yeah, it’s a good question. LAFCO has three objectives: “To Encourage the Orderly Formation of Local Government Agencies,” “To PreserveAgricultural Land Resources,” and To Discourage Urban Sprawl.”

And so, by their own measure, the Stanislaus LAFCO has been a failure. Our county, one of the top farm producing counties in the nation, has one of the worst records for directing sprawl away from prime soils. Before the housing bubble burst, as much as 81% of new growth occurred on high quality farmland in Stanislaus County. The American Farmland Trust ranked our county last in this category in the entire Central Valley. Clearly, LAFCO has not been doing its job.

A perfect example of how LAFCO ignores its objectives and rubber stamps bad growth came at the March meeting this year. Our commissioners voted unanimously to approve a massive expansion of Ceres, including 3,600 new homes, onto hundreds of acres of productive farmland. Documents from the City of Ceres said that the impact to farmland from this project would be “significant and unavoidable” and that no mitigation measures would be possible.

Everyone seemed to know that this project was horrible. The last thing we need is thousands of more houses. Everyone knew that Ceres could have asked the developers to mitigate the loss of farmland. Everyone knew they hadn’t secured a source for water other than groundwater. And, the City of Ceres was using pre-housing crash statistics to justify the expansion. And yet, the LAFCO commissioners threw their hands in the air and said they had to approve the expansion.

A few commissioners seemed to be embarrassed. Stanislaus LAFCO is currently looking at farmland protection policies enacted by LAFCOs in Yolo, Napa, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties. Our LAFCO is considering a number of restrictions that could help, although it might give cities some options that would allow bad growth to continue. Their new policy could merely give the illusion of doing something, and this would be a step backwards. Those of us concerned about smart planning need to watch closely.

Brad Barker, Conservation Chair, Yokuts Sierra Club

 

Kicking the Can

Former Modesto City Councilman Denny Jackman wears an elevated orthopedic shoe to compensate for a short leg. Jackman likes to joke he had the shoe made to better enable him to, “kick the can down the road.”

As a long time participant in local politics, Jackman has seen a lot of can-kicking, much of it involving elected officials doing anything they can to avoid protecting farmland or preventing sprawl. He witnessed a prolonged effort when Stanislaus County’s nine mayors met over a period of many months to devise a growth plan. With much fanfare and praise from local media for “working together,” the mayors managed to produce no plan at all. Instead, they came up with a sprawl lover’s dream come true: A “plan” that merged every major city in the county into a megalopolis modeled after San Jose.

No question the mayors are top tier can kickers, but they have serious rivals on the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo). Charged by the state with preventing sprawl and protecting farmland, LAFCo commissioners seem to be doing everything they can to avoid their mandate.

Their lack of a farmland protection policy has resulted in an ongoing expansion of Stanislaus County cities that seems to have no end in sight. Over the years, Jackman has become so frustrated at such political inaction that he’s joined others in campaigns to write and promote measures to direct development away from prime farmland.

Jackman has had his share of losses in these campaigns, beginning with the “Save Agriculture For Ever (SAFE)” campaign in 1990, when he worked with Peggy Mensinger. He’s also had some major victories, most notably the Measure E campaign (“Stamp Out Sprawl”) in 2008, when he worked with current Modesto Mayor Garrad Marsh.

The Great Disconnect

Jackman and other farmland protection advocates have come to believe that the vast majority of Valley citizens support farmland protection and oppose sprawl. They think there is a wide disconnection between the actions of local politicians and the wishes of their constituents, mostly because farmland protection is rarely an issue in local campaigns.

“Elected representatives are typically not voted in our out of office by farmland protection issues,” he said recently. “There are exceptions, yet support for local candidates comes from sources that support more and more urbanization.”

Developer money is a major factor in most local elections, and prospective candidates must consider the consequences of opposing developers, which often include the possibility of being smeared as well as outspent.

While Jackman has never been alone in his quest to save farmland, of late he’s noticed a greater awareness of just how critical farmland issues have become. When LAFCo approved an annexation of farmland by the city of Ceres last March, a group called “Protect Agricultural Land (PAL)” quickly formed and filed suit. The suit was in part based on LAFCo’s agreement with the City that there was no way to mitigate the loss of farmland.

The City’s position was seemingly ludicrous on its surface, since farmland losses have been mitigated in many places for many years. LAFCo’s approval of the annexation seemed not only a blatant dereliction of LAFCo’s state mandate, it was also an apparent violation of aspects of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Like Denny Jackman, Jeanni Ferarri has followed growth issues in Stanislaus County for decades. She was stunned by the LAFCo decision.

“LAFCo’s role in protecting farmland and promoting orderly growth is critical in a county like Stanislaus,” she said recently. “LAFCo is the last line of defense. The public relies on this agency to do the right thing. LAFCo has the responsibility to uphold CEQA. I believe the commission didn’t uphold CEQA; it simply rubber-stamped the project. I really wonder if all the commissioners understand the importance of LAFCo and their charge.”

Actually, there’s a good chance the commissioners do understand LAFCo and are simply trying to obstruct its mission. Northern San Joaquin Valley politicians have a long history of disdain for environmental regulations in general and especially for CEQA. LAFCo Commissioner Bill O’Brien’s incessant refrain, “I believe the power resides in the people,” is his way of saying he wants no part of LAFCo’s responsibility to protect farmland and prevent sprawl. He’d much rather the effort and expense be borne by private citizens like Denny Jackman, Jeanni Ferrari, and Garrad Marsh, who rarely have the resources to oppose powerful developers.

Your Tax Dollars

The LAFCo budget for 2012-13 is $424,811. It includes $20,000 for legal expenses. Last year’s $12,000 reserve was severely depleted due to “outside litigation.” LAFCo is facing more litigation in the coming months. The litigation is clearly related to the failure of LAFCo Commissioners to fulfill their state-mandated mission. Given LAFCo’s overall failure to implement anti-sprawl and farmland protection measures, its budget is very hard to justify.

In fact, LAFCo in Stanislaus County seems to be serving purposes antithetical to its mission. When ignoring sprawl and failing to protect farmland, LAFCo seems more and more to be using tax dollars in service to the interests of the Asphalt Empire.

 

Filed Under: Featured, Politics Tagged With: Ceres annexation, Denny Jackman, LAFCo Stanislaus County

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Scott Calkins says

    August 11, 2012 at 10:47 pm

    It is impossible to read this article and not be struck by the great irony. To see the “great disconnect” in Denny Jackman’s own positions. Denny Jackman has done more than most to promote farmland protection and prevent sprawl, however he is currently promoting StanCOG’s effort to build a new freeway/expressway to replace the existing Maze Boulevard route of SR132 West which will consume far more farmland than he can take credit for preserving.

    This new infrastructure will, as it does everywhere, serve the purpose of those who want to convert our farmland to commercial and residential use. If Denny Jackman is going to maintain his credibility in order to write articles like the one above about LAFCO then he will need to re-examine his position on SR132 West. He currently stands with the people who plan to turn irreplaceable prime farmland into another suburb of the “Asphalt Empire”. Everyone who knows Mr Jackman and Supervisor Terry Withrow should be asking them how they can maintain such contradictory positions without disclosing the real driving force behind their efforts to pave over the best farmland in California for a new alignment of SR132 West. Are the two of them acting on behalf of powerful local families or corporations who do not want to be identified in public?

    Currently both men have strained their credibility and they each owe the community a much better explanation of their own “great disconnect”. I look forward to reading that article in the Valley Citizen as well.

    As always I thank Eric Caine for providing this forum.

    Reply
    • Eric Caine says

      August 11, 2012 at 11:05 pm

      Just a little reminder: Denny did not write the article. I did.

      Reply
      • Scott Calkins says

        August 12, 2012 at 12:29 am

        Thanks Eric,

        Yes, I got that and thanks for the correction. I still question Denny Jackman’s seeming to have a double standard when it comes to farmland protection.

        Reply
        • Eric Caine says

          August 12, 2012 at 12:51 am

          We all do things others disagree with, unless we do nothing at all. Denny has a lot of achievements behind him and more ahead. The important thing is we unite where there is common ground. LAFCo is a different issue than 132; people might agree on one, disagree on the other, but the disagreement does not necessarily indicate bad faith.

          Reply
    • Douglas Smith says

      August 18, 2012 at 7:07 am

      Are you saying that SR132 West (“Blood Ally”) should not be changed? Any improvement is going to have to affect some farmland. How is making a highway with many accidents and fatalities each year safer, not a good reason to affect some farmland? It’s not the same as using the farmland to promote suburban sprawl.

      Reply
      • Scott Calkins says

        August 19, 2012 at 10:49 pm

        The sad part is Stancog and Caltrans could have provided excellent safety improvements to the existing Maze boulevard route years ago. Instead they are pushing for a project that is too large, and they do not have near enough funding even to begin construction on the interchange let alone safety improvements to blood alley. Too bad we do not have more prudent local politicians who understand what we can afford and what works.

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Enter Captcha Here : *

Reload Image

Note: Some comments may be held for moderation.

Primary Sidebar

Off The Wire

David Brooks column: Trump ignites a war within the church
David Brooks column: Trump ignites a war within the church
“Over the last 72 hours, I have received multiple death threats and thousands upon thousands of emails from Christians saying the nastiest and most vulgar things I have ever heard toward my family and ministry. I have been labeled a coward, sellout, a traitor to the Holy Spirit, and cussed out at least 500 times.”
www.courant.com
Here are the companies suspending political contributions following the Capitol riots
Here are the companies suspending political contributions following the Capitol riots
thehill.com
How the Capitol Riot Thrust Big American Companies Deeper Into Politics
How the Capitol Riot Thrust Big American Companies Deeper Into Politics
“Words alone are not enough.” Corporate moves to halt political funding and decry the forces behind the Jan. 6 riot have accelerated a broader movement in business to address social and political issues.
www.wsj.com
I've hesitated to call Donald Trump a fascist. Until now | Opinion
I’ve hesitated to call Donald Trump a fascist. Until now | Opinion
After last week the label seems not just acceptable, but necessary.
www.newsweek.com
The Cheney-McCarthy rift busts open
The Cheney-McCarthy rift busts open
The Republican leaders’ split on impeachment presages a bigger battle over Trump and the GOP.
www.politico.com
Beaten, sprayed with mace and hit with stun guns: police describe injuries to dozens of officers during assault on U.S. Capitol
Beaten, sprayed with mace and hit with stun guns: police describe injuries to dozens of officers during assault on U.S. Capitol
Authorities say many officers face long recovery following riot
www.washingtonpost.com
Trump Authoritarianism Denial Is Over Now
Trump Authoritarianism Denial Is Over Now
Just weeks, ago, conservatives insisted Trump would concede if he lost the election.
nymag.com
Fact check: Men who stormed Capitol identified by Reuters are not undercover Antifa as posts claim
Fact check: Men who stormed Capitol identified by Reuters are not undercover Antifa as posts claim
Social media users have been sharing content online that suggests those who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 were Antifa, not Trump supporters. Many have been using compilations of pictures as purported evidence, but examination of these images shows they do not support…
www.reuters.com
Who Funded the Putsch of January 6, 2021?
Who Funded the Putsch of January 6, 2021?
We must investigate the riots and find out who was behind it, who organized and financed it.
billmoyers.com

Senior Trump Official: “We Were Wrong, He’s a Fascist”

“The legacy of the Trump administration is going to be that the president sparked an insurrection and people died.”
nymag.com
35 times Capitol Police arrested more demonstrators than the 14 insurgents arrested Wednesday
35 times Capitol Police arrested more demonstrators than the 14 insurgents arrested Wednesday
They have arrested more than 3,600 demonstrators since 2016.
www.motherjones.com
Perspective | The pro-Trump media world peddled the lies that fueled the Capitol mob. Fox News led the way.
Perspective | The pro-Trump media world peddled the lies that fueled the Capitol mob. Fox News led the way.
Even today, they are still at it.
www.washingtonpost.com
Joe Scarborough Drops F-Bomb on MSNBC, Calls for Arrest of Donald Trump After Capitol Raid
Joe Scarborough Drops F-Bomb on MSNBC, Calls for Arrest of Donald Trump After Capitol Raid
“If they are not arrested and brought to justice today, then we are no longer a nation of laws and we only tell people they can do this again,”
Morning Joe host says, referring to the…
www.rollingstone.com

Find us on Facebook

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Footer

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Subscribe for Free

* indicates required

Search

• Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 The Valley Citizen

Dedicated to the memory of John Michael Flint. Contact us at thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Editor and publisher: Eric Caine

Website customization and maintenance by Susan Henley Design