Re-elect Alameda Supervisor Gail Steele

The Sierra Club enthusiastically endorses Supervisor Gail Steele for reelection to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in District 2 (Hayward, Newark, Union City, Fremont, and Sunol).

A long-time friend of the environment, she started her political career in 1974 with a seat on the Hayward City Council, moving in 1992 to the Board of Supervisors, where her votes could protect even larger areas.

She has been our most consistent supporter on the Board. She is always accessible, makes personal field trips to controversial development sites, and sticks to her principles.

As supervisor, Gail has a long track record of courageous votes for the environment.

• Gail has been a consistent vote to protect open space and agricultural land under Measure D, the Urban Growth Boundary initiative. In 2000 we collected 50,000 signatures to place Measure D on the November ballot. Proponents of weaker protections brought the competing Measure C to the supervisors, who voted 4 - 1 to put C on the ballot also; Gail was the only vote against C.
• She voted against allowing excessive killing of birds at the Altamont wind farm.
• Last December she was the only vote against certifying the inadequate Environmental Impact Report for the destructive Boundary Creek development on Crow Creek in Castro Valley.

The Club also endorsed Gail in 1998, her last contested election.

The Club acknowledges the good environmental record of Union City Councilmember Richard Valle, a long-time friend of the Club, who is challenging Steele in this election. Valle was endorsed by the Club when he ran for City Council and would be a good vote on environmental issues at the Board of Supervisors. In this election, however, Gail's long and excellent environmental record and deep concern merit our full support and endorsement.