Candidate for
County Board of Supervisors; Santa Barbara County; Supervisorial District 5

• PUBLIC SAFETY: With the rising tide of gang activity in our neighborhoods, I am committed to maintaining current levels of peace officers while working with law enforcement authorities to develop and implement intervention, prevention and re-entry programs that work. If budget cuts are to be made, they cannot be made on the backs of those who are our first-responders. Prevention and early intervention programs in our schools must be considered as tools to help our law enforcement agencies.

• JOBS: With high unemployment and a deep recession, we need to find ways to strengthen our local economy to improve the quality of life of our residents. Over $40 million of federal stimulus money is due to come to our District to repair the levee and another $4 million for two fire stations in Santa Maria. We need to ensure that this money is allocated in a manner that benefits local businesses, vendors, and provides jobs for our people. With agriculture the economic engine that drives the Santa Maria Valley, we must promote policies which encourage the continued viability of this industry and the creation of good, clean ag-related jobs.

• FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: It's a simple fact that you can't spend more than you take in. County government does not have a printing press to pay its bills. Having served on the Santa Maria City Council for ten years, I know how to set priorities, eliminate unnecessary expenses and bureaucratic overhead, and manage responsible budgets. We also need to resist unfunded mandates at the state and federal level while using our local resources to generate new revenues.

• HOUSING: As a member of the Council, member of the Mayor's Housing Task Force, and longtime staff member of the Board of Supervisors, I am thoroughly familiar with the issues regarding affordable housing and the various governmental and environmental codes and ordinances affecting new development. My priority is to make housing available to working families without sacrificing prime farmland or negatively impacting our quality of life as it regards water, traffic, crime, and open space.