Green Party of San Diego County
Santa Ana, Anaheim, Costa Mesa & Garden Grove CA U.S. 
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Co-Chair of the Green Party of San Diego County for the past year, registered Green for nine years.
One of 7 candidates for the 5th district of the San Diego, CA city council in a district only election.
If no one gets 50% on March 7th, the top two will be in a runoff in November.
The location of San Diego next to the U.S.-Mexican border is a major stage for the NAFTA and the WTO. Infrastructure improvements that are needed to support NAFTA programs, such as an expanded cargo airport 2 miles from the border, expanded freeways and port facilities are in the planning stages. I would work hard to stop these expansions.
The use of tax revenues goes towards making the wealthy more wealthy. The San Diego City Council and corporate powers such as QUALCOM pushed through a $225,000,000 bond measure in 1998 to help the Padres build a new baseball stadium, hotels, and restaurants downtown (after passing the bond the projection of city cost are $300,000,000).
These new developments generate thousands of part time, low paying jobs. The people that work at the jobs created by this “economic expansion” need affordable housing. The city gets state money to help generate affordable housing and recently gave a substantial amount to homeless shelters to check the block for affordable housing. I fully support homeless shelters, but to call a homeless shelter affordable housing seems like a reach. I will work for real affordable housing.
Our local ecosystems suffer greatly as the juggernaut of economic expansion continues. Earlier this summer Green Party members joined EarthFirst!, Sierra Club, and other local environmental activists to stop developers from bulldozing land surrounding an endangered vernal pool habitat by stepping in front of the bulldozers.
Earlier, environmentalists thought they had a deal with the Mayor and City Council on protecting the watershed that feeds this particular vernal pool. Developers got their plans approved because the wording was vague in the agreement signed on by the City, environmentalists, and developers. The City decided to error on the side of the developers without consulting the environmentalist groups first. This is typical in this city and region.
The good news is a deal was reached to save this habitat after the bulldozer confrontation.
The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is the major planning organization in the region. They project an increase in regional population of one million people in the next 20 years. The current population is 2.8 million. SANDAG includes in their report that 60% of the growth will be from natural growth. They use this projection of natural growth as a justification for attracting new industries and new development in their 20 year plan. You would need a natural growth rate double the national average to accomplish this feat.
I have been able to confirm that all the projections were modeled using past growth figures and hopes for a continuation of the same. Much of the funding for this study by SANDAG came from the growth industry. No alternative plan for the region was ever considered. I would work to bring alternative plans forward.
The people of my district are openly complaining about the consequences of growth. Many work part time for high tech companies where they receive a good hourly rate but no benefits. They put up with what is fast becoming some of the worst traffic in the nation. The district voters were asked to pass a $170,000,000 school improvement bond recently that began with the words “Due to severe overcrowding.” We are told that lane expansions and new zipper lanes (movable barriers between the north and southbound lanes) will solve our traffic problems. There is no money for Zipper lanes, and if there were, the current elevation differences between the lanes would make construction very costly.
We should spend any transportation money to provide a mass transit system in the area. The state is examining the development of a high speed rail system from San Diego to the Bay Area. Let this new system be the centerpiece in a new mass transit system.
As a Green it is difficult to stand aside and let my community continue to be degraded in almost every way imaginable. A voice of reason and common sense needs to be on the correct side of the table at city hall. A voice that can say enough is enough. Someone that is not in the corner with the corporate powers that currently run this town.
I decided to run for the 5th District City Council seat because all the other candidates are satisfied with making minor adjustments in the status quo.
They are still happy with corporate control and growth. They are still supportive of giving hundreds of millions of dollars to professional ball teams and small handouts to the needy.
I want to use my candidacy to build the local Green Party. I see a great opportunity to air our message to the people, to let them know that there is a real choice. I see the Green Party as the only real choice for the future.
I am asking for your support. There are 85,000 registered voters in the district (248 Greens). Remember, building the party is one reason I am running. I have the support from the local active Greens and some Greens in nearby Riverside county. More help is needed. We can make a major difference in this critical corporate region if a Green were to be on the city council.
One of the other candidates has raised $100,000 from the powers in the region. However, she has no message for the voters. If we can get our message out to the voters we have a real chance to be in the running. The people of this district are ready for a change."
The San Diego Municipal Code limits donations to $250 and only from individuals (no groups, corporations, or businesses). Sounds like the campaign financing changes we all want.
If you live in the region and can help with your time please contact me at
Thanks for the support
Santa Ana, Anaheim, Costa Mesa & Garden Grove CA U.S.
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