Hometown Blues:
Bay Area Housing and Growth Crisis

Hometown Blues, the documentary, is on the air:

• Channel 6 on Palo Alto cable access: every Friday in July at 1pm
• Channel 26 on Access Los Altos (seen in Cupertino and Los Altos): Wednesday, July 7 and Wednesday July 14 at 8:30 pm.
• KRCB-TV in Rohnert Park will air it on Thurs., Aug. 5 at 8:30 pm
• KQED-TV in SF will air it on Sunday, Aug. 29 at 2:30pm.

Frustrated with the rising price of housing? Tired of getting stuck in traffic? Anxious about how rapidly the region is growing?

The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) produced a 30-minute documentary, Hometown Blues, that addresses the San Francisco Bay Area's housing and growth crisis.

The video explores quality of life issues — affordable housing, transportation, the environment — that affect Bay Area residents and poses possible solutions. Elected officials and citizens as well as community, environment and business leaders weigh in on these topics.During the month of May, ABAG also sponsored Town Hall meetings with local experts in the North Bay, East Bay and South Bay. Each meeting was broadcast on local public television, allowing TV viewers to call the stations with questions.

On Thursday, May 13, the first Town Hall meeting was held at Petaluma's City Council Chambers. Residents of the City of Petaluma watched the program on Channel 63, Petaluma Cable Access. Dick Spotswood, former Mayor of Mill Valley and long-time Marin County volunteer, moderated the panel discussion, which included:

• Michael Gordon, Vice President of Fair, Isaac
• Annette Rose, Marin County Supervisor
• E. Clark Thompson, Mayor of Petaluma
• Betty Pagett, Director of Education and Advocacy for Ecumenical Association for Housing
• John Young, Executive Director of Marin Grassroots Leadership Network
• Wayne Goldberg, Planning Director for the City of Santa Rosa
• Alan Strachan, General Partner, Courtside Village
• Volker Eisle, Napa County vintner and former President of Greenbelt Alliance

The next Town Hall meeting was in Martinez on Wednesday, May 26 and aired on Contra Costa Television (CCTV). The panel was moderated by Richmond Mayor Rosemary Corbin and included:

• Millie Greenberg, Danville City Councilmember
• Assemblymember Tom Torlakson
• Carl Anthony, Director of Urban Habitat
• Bill Gray, President of the Contra Costa Council and CEO of William R. Gray & Co.
• John Protopappas, President of Madison Park Real Estate Investment Trust
• Tom Mooers, East Bay Field Representative, Greenbelt Alliance

On Thursday, May 27, the Town Hall meeting was held at KTEH-TV, Channel 54, in San Jose. The panel was moderated by Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian and included:

• Carl Guardino, President & CEO, Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group
• Scott Ward, Vice President, Classic Communities
• Rose Jacobs Gibson, San Mateo County Supervisor
• Jesus Armas, City Manager, City of Hayward
• Carol Galante, President, BRIDGE Housing Corp.
• José Vasquez, Jr., Development Director, Mexican-American Community Services Agency

Copies of the documentary, Hometown Blues, can be purchased for $10.00 plus tax. To order, please call ABAG at 510-464-7900, or order the video online!.

 

Overview

Resource Links

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