About District 4

Fourth District, Calaveras County, CA

Altaville | Angels Camp | Douglas Flat | Murphys | Vallecito

Being Rural

Growing up in Kansas, I thought of myself as a "townie" because we didn't live on a farm. The town of Marion had (and has) about 2,200 people. The county's total population is about 13,000 (down from 20,000 in the 1900 census). In comparison, Angels Camp and Calaveras County are more populous (3,600 and 48,000). But today, we would describe all of them as "rural". To me, rural distinguishes our area from both urban and suburban areas.

This thought was prompted as I read the "Rural Economic Vitality Project Policy Brief" dated January 2007. This survey of rural California identifies four key challenges facing us: renewing the local economy, educating the workforce, improving the infrastructure, and improving internet access. I will be addressing each of these topics here and in person.

To share your thoughts about these topics, "Write Lee".