Bringing More Jobs to Carson

By Steve P. Mozena

I will work to make the City business-friendly, improve the poor zoning and urban planning, and draw consumers to the city by improving access.

I will bring more jobs to Carson by assisting established businesses and attracting new ones, including restaurants, hotels and theaters. I will make this city a business-friendly place. This will create more income and increase the tax base, making new and improved city services possible.

I'm a member of the Carson Chamber of Commerce, a long-established businessman and I know how to make business happen.

How will I use all my experience to help Carson?

First, I would temporarily halt all housing and business construction and commission experts to rethink all the zoning and urban planning. At the moment, it's awful. There are industrial parks next to residential areas, which bring semi-trucks rumbling through those areas. I would create a plan for buffer zones for families to enjoy their homes in peace and quiet and safety.

I want to make Carson enticing so that commuters, business travelers and tourists will turn off the freeway and spend their money in Carson.

We need to make sure access is easy so I would work with Caltrans to improve the on and off ramps. I would work to get on and off ramps, as an example, I would use the dormant truck stops, which is located on both the southbound and northbound 405 freeway, creating an on and off ramp for the Del Amo overpass, also known as the Calas bridge, which I would rename. I find it repulsive to name anything after a politician. If it should be named after anyone, it should be after a Carson child who has fought hard in life to survive, but succumbed to cancer or some other illness.

Also, motorists need to see what we have here, and I'd make sure the signs for the 110, 91 and 405 are high enough. At the moment, Burger King can hardly be seen from 110 near K-Mart. For the South Bay Pavilion Mall, I'd like to move the sign closer to the freeway so it can be seen. Also, now that the new owners of the Mall are still renovating the mall. However, I'd like to see it become more representative of the area, to include all types of ethnic foods and stores. In fact, if possible, I'd like the City of Carson to buy the Mall, and sell the stores to local merchants and have them form a business mall association, with appropriate rules and regulations, rather like condo owners form homeowners' associations.

Additionally, I would propose the removal of Don Kott's Car Dealership and Altmans' RV along the Dominguez Channel, so we can develop the Dominguez Channel with shops, restaurants, offices, trees, shrubs and a walkway. It has great frontage of the Canal, and it can also be seen from the 405.

The Dominguez Channel can become a great attraction for visitors if we make it into a recreation area, with restaurants and retail stores, paths for biking, roller blading, and walking. There should be lots of trees, flowers and greenery for visitors and residents alike.

Additionally, I would like an Indian Casino to locate along the Dominguez Canal, near the Golf course, and be viewable from the 405.

I'd like the NFL to come here, but I want a citizen-owned team. Let us all, as Carsonites, and fans financially benefit from the team instead of just the billionaire boys' club. Also, I want the stadium to include local food vendors with concessions from the different ethnic groups in Carson from Filipino, to African American and Mexican just to name a few.

On the lower portion of the stadium, I'd like to see a "Stadium Shopping Center," which would make better use of the stadium year around and its ample parking, since the NFL season is short and only has about a dozen games a year.

Another use of the stadium would be for the sports programs of all local Carson schools, from elementary to high school to have practice and play their games there. The Home Depot Center could be used for the benefits of the local school sports programs as well.

I would ask the U.S. Post Office to close its main post office on Avalon, and consolidate it with the Post Office in South Bay Pavilion, which has more parking facilities and better hours. We could use the vacated Post Office lot, along with the adjacent closed lube shop, for a restaurant like "Hometown Buffet".

With my restaurant background, I will bring restaurants to Carson. I've already been working in the background to make this happen.

I will also work to bring medical manufacturers to Carson.

I also want to increase tourism revenue by improving Carson's image. This would include beautifying the city by tree trimming, landscaping, and creating safe, clean sidewalks and streets, to be maintained daily. No more graffiti. I will encourage planting of vegetable gardens and fruit trees and the placing of many hanging plants in city. I will introduce better lamppost banners announcing events, and have music playing in downtown area. We need to develop a city identity that will attract visitors. One idea is that Carson could be known as the city of beautiful water fountains.

I understand the ups and downs of business and will offer my expertise to established businesses as well as start-ups. I want to help all Carsonites who dream of owning their own company to accomplish their goals. One example of this was when I helped the African-American small-businessman who founded http://www.wirebike.com to grow his company with the Web.

My overall goal is to bring the entire community together and make Carson a great city for all Carsonites.

Sincerely,

Steve Mozena Candidate for Carson Council