When the proposed Prop 1B highway funding shortchanged
the Bay Area, we generated a deafening 300-story media campaign, coupled with political pressure, that eventually increased the Bay Area’s share by $1 billion, from $686 million
to $1.69 billion. The editorial boards of the San Jose Mercury News, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Contra Costa Times,
and the Oakland Tribune all specifically credited and thanked
the Bay Area Council for its work.
An Exit Strategy for
the Water Crisis
Operating at the nucleus
of the negotiations on massive changes to the state’s main water system, the
Delta, and seen as an influential and honest broker in these negotiations,
the Council got nearly all of the players to agree to data-driven decision
making, instead of political maneuvering, for the first time ever, creating a
potential exit strategy from one of California’s worst water crises.
Positioning the Bay
Area in the “Century of the Pacific” Created and signed
the first ever region-to-region economic development agreement— with
the Yangtze-Shanghai, China region. The agreement establishes economic
collaboration among Bay Area and Yangtze region companies in several key
areas including information technology, biotech, green technology, digital
arts, urban development, goods movement and financial services. The agreement
starts building a permanent bridge uniting our economies and shared future in
the coming “Century of the Pacific.”
New Disaster Response and Transportation Agency
Drove a vast increase in ferry service to help our region respond and recover after the Big One - and relieve day-to-day traffic congestion - by creating the Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) with Senate Bill 976. Called the most significant legislation of the year by some, SB 976 consolidates existing service, locks in $250 million to start building out the system, and permits WETA to access a host of additional public transit and homeland security funding pots as well.
Keeping Bay Area Business Concerns Top of Mind
Continually meet, strategize and consult with the
top political leaders that influence the future of the Bay
Area—including Senators Feinstein and Boxer, Speaker of the U.S. House
of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the leaders
of the state legislature, mayors, supervisors and other leaders—to
ensure that we maintain our economic strengths and increase the Bay Area’s
global competitiveness.
Invested in Economically-Challenged Neighborhoods
Invested $175 million of private equity in economically-challenged Bay Area neighborhoods through the Bay Area Family of Funds. The Funds promote smart growth, address poverty, support local businesses and clean up contaminated sites with market-based solutions. Created a new fund to raise $100 million for smart growth projects.
Lobbied for Stem Cell Institute
Protected the new Stem Cell Institute in the Bay Area by fighting off separate legislation two years in a row that would have forced the initiative back on the state ballot.
Supported Emerging Bay Area Scholars
Gave 20 scholarships, totaling $150,000, to Bay Area university-bound local students from low and moderate income neighborhoods. The scholarships are funded by management fees earned from the community investment activities of the Bay Area Family of Funds.
Driving Public Private Partnerships
Created momentum for legislation to enable public-private partnerships to bring new capital and expertise to our biggest infrastructure challenges. Fired an opening salvo with an op ed in the San Francisco Chronicle co-signed by Gray Davis (D), the 37th governor of California; Pete Wilson (R), the 36th governor of California; and George Deukmejian (R), the 35th governor of California.
Laid Foundation for Crime Stoppers
Responding to the recent rise in serious crime, especially homicide, built the foundation for a regional “Crime Stoppers” effort mirroring successful programs put in place internationally. Crime Stoppers will be a well-publicized, anonymous tip line that will help police investigative units make arrests in difficult cases where “no one is talking.”
