Amidst abundance, California is home to what has been referred to as the ‘Appalachia of the West,” among the lowest income cities and towns in the nation, families exposed to myriad environmental hazards, water too filthy to drink and wastewater oozing from dilapidated septic systems. While hundreds of thousands of our neighbors fight for the most fundamental elements of a healthy and thriving com
munity, local and statewide officials too often perpetuate the phenomenon of two Californias through practice and policy, and through acts and omissions. Our experience in rural California has taught us that as long as the most vulnerable populations remain silent and sidelined environmental degradation will continue, infrastructure will crumble, and the most basic of services and amenities will remain beyond the reach for those in need. And, municipal, regional and state-wide policies will continue to further disadvantage low income, rural communities through programs, funding formulas and eligibility criteria that favor wealthier regions. Through community organizing, research, legal representation and policy advocacy we will impact land use and transportation planning, shift public investment priorities, guide environmental policy, and promote the provision of basic infrastructure and services. In collaboration with local and statewide advocates, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability will reverse trends that have reigned throughout our history and confront the inequality and deficiencies that continue to plague this state.
