Candidate for
Council Member; City of San Diego; Council District 1

Clean Water

Before I was elected in 2000, our City's beach closure record was an embarrassment. As Co-Chair of the Mayor's Clean Water Task Force, I have worked to change our city's approach. Instead of suing regulators who demand compliance from the City, we work with them to assure clean water. Instead of watching the sewer pipes deteriorate, we're cleaning, repairing and replacing them. I'm proud that we have reduced sewer spills and beach closures by over 55% in just two and a half years, and I am committed to keep that positive momentum going.

Growth Management

Demographers project that within 30 years, our region's population will grow from just under 3 million to more than 4 million people. Because most of this growth will occur from births occurring within San Diego, not from people moving here, we can't bury our head in the sand and pretend things will not change. We must manage that change. It's vital that we ensure that growth happens in the right way in the right place. As the Chair of the City Council's Land Use and Housing Committee, I have worked for a growing and thriving downtown that provides an alternative to continued sprawl, for neighborhoods that are comfortable and safe for families, and for open spaces that remain undisturbed by development.

Open Space and Parks

In past decades, San Diegans have seen a great deal of open space lost to development. With the nation's second largest urban parks system, our City is still the most beautiful in the nation. But we have to take steps now to keep it that way, at a time when public budgets are stretched tight. I advocate a Parks Master Plan of the type developed in Dallas, where funding was approved by overwhelming margins by voters. Our City needs to continue to provide great recreation programs at clean and well-maintained parks we can be proud of, and we need to put our open spaces into public ownership as soon as we can. I am working to make that happen on behalf of all San Diegans.

Transportation

For years, transportation planners neglected the Golden Triangle, Torrey Pines Mesa, Sorrento Valley and Sorrento Mesa, which together are now our region's major employment center. As a member of the City Council and the Metropolitan Transit Development Board, I have begun to turn the region's attention to this area most affected by traffic. For the first time, our region has plans for creative transit approaches north of Highway 52. I am committed to continue to fight for smarter, creative and more effective solutions to mobility in the North City. Our economy and our quality of life depend on it.