Issues

SmartVoter.org

The most important quality of life issues facing Escondido: 

From my perspective the most important quality of life issues we face relate to the safety and security of every Escondido citizen and family.  Safety and security in our homes, in our schools, on our streets and in our neighborhoods.  This means freedom from gangs, other criminals or anyone who would threaten our health, our lives or our livelihoods.  It also means continued promotion of our safety, as I have done as a City Councilman, via strong and viable police and fire departments, a well-funded anti-gang task force, public education and awareness (partnerships with schools and other public and neighborhood groups) code enforcement and the eradication  of graffiti / tagging. I believe in being pro-active in the elimination of the aforementioned threats to our citizens. 

I also believe that enhancements in our public works efforts are necessary.  Diagnosing and repairing, designing and constructing water, sewer, road and trail infrastructure though-out our community. Excellence in basic services such as these is an essential ingredient to assure the comfort, safety and confidence the citizens of Escondido deserve. 

Along with the financial security and prosperity of our citizens comes the improved ability of the city government to provide these and other needed and desired community services.  An industrious community is a happy, secure and self-confident community.   Paving the way for smart business growth and development means better, more abundant and higher paying jobs.  I will continue to support and promote just that.  Again, taking the pro-active approach to bring new businesses, technology and industries to our City is one of my goals. This also includes the continued support of the tremendous Agriculture Industry that Escondido has been so well known for and my current efforts towards the design and establishment of the Caballo Park, a conceptual multi-use equestrian park, in East Escondido.   

I emphatically support both the General Plan and Charter City proposals.  Each is critically important to both present and future growth, development, financial progress and quality of life for each and every one of us.  Perhaps even more importantly, speaking more of the Charter City proposal, it is critical for both the present and future freedom and sovereignty of our City and all members of our community.  

The Charter City and General Plan proposals for Escondido:

The proposed General Plan has many important functions including allocating more land and revitalizing current employment lands for commercial growth and development.  This means more and higher paying jobs.   It also provides for new opportunities for parks, trails and other “quality of life” issues such as resource conservation.  This, and much more, is done with less than 5% of existing neighborhoods being affected, without any new taxes being assessed and all the while maintaining current Proposition S requirements (voter approval for land use changes).  Revitalization of existing residential areas as well as core commercial areas of our city is an essential component of the new General Plan. 

The proposed Charter City initiative puts the control of planning, development, operations, finances and city management right where it should be: under local control.  It stems the tide of unfunded state mandates that have crippled our city financially as well as economically.  The Constitution of the State of California allows for this Charter and we need to take advantage of this right provided to us. It will save our city millions of dollars by keeping our dollars local, by making Prevailing Wage optional instead of mandatory and by the promotion of fair and open competition with public works contracts and projects. 

This Charter has and “anti-City of Bell” clause that where all Mayoral and City Counsel compensations / salaries are still pursuant to California Government Codes.

Goals for Escondido:

• Make Escondido the premier city in North County
• Restore Escondido’s image as a safe, clean place to do business and raise families
• Increase code enforcement to improve the appearance of the city 
• Expand traffic safety checkpoints to remove unlicensed, unregistered, uninsured and DUI motorists from our streets
• Enforce gang injunctions and curb gang violence to reduce crime
• Cooperate with ICE to deport illegal criminals from our community
• Increase city efficiency 
• Implement conservative fiscal policies
• Control spending without raising taxes
• Reform public employee pension system
• Keep our balanced budget (last year we balanced our budget for the first time in four years)
• Bring Jobs to Escondido
• Outsource some non-public safety functions to the private sector when appropriate 
• Streamline City business regulations
• Reform low-income housing policy to spur development and renew Escondido