Topic 44 About LARRY AGRAN -- "Track Record" harelb alt.news-media 12:37 am Apr 11, 1992 (at MATH.CORNELL.EDU) (From News system) "The United Nations recognized this ordinance by giving Irvine its 1990 Environmental Achievement Award, one of only eight cities worldwide -- and the only U.S. city -- to receive that award." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ========================================= A g r a n ' s T r a c k R e c o r d : ========================================= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The following excerpts were forwarded to me about Agran's "Track Record" by Steve Smith, who had prepared some background (on Agran's "Track Record") for SANE/Freeze. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: Stephen Smith <75300.3112@CompuServe.COM> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (1) After research determined that Irvine's high-tech industries released ozone-damaging chemicals far more disproportionately to a typical city, Mr. Agran personally authored what's commonly known as "the CFC ordinance." It was at the time the strongest ozone-protection ordinance by any city in the world. The United Nations recognized this ordinance by giving Irvine its 1990 Environmental Achievement Award, one of only eight cities worldwide -- and the only U.S. city -- to receive that award. (2) Mr. Agran implemented a citywide recycling program, the first in Orange County and one of the earliest programs in the State of California. "Irvine Recycles" became the model for many other similar programs nationwide. The last I heard, about 80% of Irvine residents were participating. (3) Mr. Agran has long been a leader to bring mass transit to Orange County. He arranged for Irvine to receive $250 million from the statewide rail bond passed a couple years ago. Matched 50/50 by the City of Irvine, it would fund a demonstration monorail project within Irvine which would be the initial link in a regional system. (4) This was prior to my time (you can double-check with agran92@igc.org) but a few years back he successfully negotiated a deal that significantly downsized the proposed San Joaquin Corridor Freeway. This was originally intended to be a 12-lane freeway slicing through the only undeveloped coastal hills left in Orange County, and would have not only opened the area to development but also posed a significant danger to the fragile ecology. The negotiated compromise downscaled the project to a six-lane divided highway (so the center median could be used in the future for mass transit), with no off-ramps in the hills (to prevent development), and underground tunnels for the wildlife to pass safely. (5) Mr. Agran negotiated with The Irvine Company (the monopoly landowner/developer) an "open space agreement." This pact preserved 16,000 acres of open space, including environmentally fragile wilderness, wetlands and hillsides, in exchange for higher density levels in already developed areas. To our knowledge, this is the largest amount of open space set aside by any city in the country. (6) SANE/Freeze has long opposed nuclear proliferation. Mr. Agran has been a national leader in this area. In 1982, Mr. Agran authored an initiative on the CA ballot. It required the Governor of CA to write a letter to the President demanding that he negotiate a bilateral nuclear freeze with the General Secretary of the USSR. The initiative passed. (And who was that Governor who had to be mandated by the people to write that letter? Jerry Brown.) In the mid-1980s, while executive director of the Center for Innovative Diplomacy (a foreign-policy think-tank), Mr. Agran organized dozens of cities across the nation into adopting resolutions as "nuclear-free zones." He was also active in protests out in the Nevada desert against nuclear testing. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Agran has been on the front line for the last decade, fighting the same causes as SANE/Freeze does. Unlike the other candidates, Larry Agran is in this race all the way, through the CA primary. He's staying in because he believes that it's critical someone deliver these important messages. Please feel free to contact me or Agran '92 if we can be of any further assistance. Steve Smith Issues Director, Agran '92