Candidate Statement

By Dana Corso

Oceanside's current City Charter was written, not by Oceanside citizens or even our own City Attorney or staff, but by a lobbyist for the Building Industry Association. Increasingly, it has become apparent that it is the special interests of builders, developers and outside corporations that are being served by our current Council Majority: Mr. Kern, Mr. Felien and Mr. Feller; NOT the interests of Oceanside residents. I've witnessed hundreds of voters speak out before the Council, only to have their concerns ignored.

In my own neighborhood, I became involved to oppose the closing of Jeffries Ranch Road, leaving only one road in and out of a community of 5,000 residents. Jeffries Ranch includes an elementary school, a magnet school, a church, Home Depot, and is the only equestrian community in Oceanside. In the event of an emergency like the fires of 2008, it would be impossible to evacuate that area using only one road! I've fought to oppose the building of a toxic dump along the San Luis Rey River, Oceanside's main water source (a project endorsed by our current Majority Council in spite of scientific evidence that it will leak over time and pollute our water supply, leading to increased water rates for clean-up).

As President of ACTION, I am proud of our efforts to successfully defeat Proposition E which endangered the homes of 4,000 seniors, veterans and disabled persons in Oceanside's manufactured home communities. We also worked to defeat Proposition F which would have led to multiple run-off elections, costing taxpayers over $200,000 annually for a Council seat that pays less than $30,000 a year. I am currently working to oppose the Melrose Extension, a project that would cost Oceanside taxpayers over $40 million. Our own City Engineers say that it would improve traffic only by mere seconds, benefiting only commuters from Temecula and Vista, not Oceanside residents! Our Planning Commission found this project to be severely flawed and determined that there would be significant impacts caused that could not be mitigated. They voted unanimously NOT to move forward with the Environmental Impact Report. This project would take 14 residential homes by eminent domain, and destroy a large portion of Guajome Park. The benefits do not outweigh the detriments this project would cause to the area.

Your current Council Majority has also proposed eliminating ALL Oceanside Paramedics and replacing them with Emergency Techs who cannot perform life-saving procedures. Additionally, they propose out-sourcing Oceanside's ambulance service to a "for-profit" outside company, which would result in a higher cost to patients for less services. Oceanside currently shares the same "standard of care" with surrounding cities like Carlsbad, Vista and Fallbrook. The proposed changes to our emergency services would PREVENT other cities from crossing borders to assist Oceanside in the event of an emergency! Additionally, they are considering out-sourcing Oceanside's Police Department to the County Sheriff's Department, which would result in longer response times and a return to higher crime rates. I will not compromise your family's safety by out-sourcing Oceanside's emergency services.

As the parent of a growing family, I share YOUR concerns for our children, our schools, libraries, parks, pools and community programs. I will work to restore and protect community services by finding practical solutions without increasing taxes.

As the owner of a local business, I know how important it is to keep Oceanside jobs in Oceanside and what it takes to help local businesses grow and expand, creating new jobs and attracting new businesses to Oceanside. My husband works in the building industry and I believe in responsible development for Oceanside's future. I will work to represent YOUR interests, not special interests.

I care about Oceanside's future and will work to grow our economy while preserving our quality of life for our beautiful beach community. If elected, I will work with the Council to STOP the wasteful spending of your tax dollars. I am your neighbor and I will do everything in my power to ensure a bright future for ourselves and our families. This November, YOU have the power to CHANGE Oceanside's City Council. I am asking for YOUR VOTE to be YOUR VOICE on the City Council. My name appears FIRST on the ballot. I hope to be YOUR First Choice.

If you would like additional information, please contact my campaign office that I share with Mayor Jim Wood. We are located at 3861 Mission Avenue, Suite B-25, call (760) 231-8756, visit my website at corsoforcouncil.com or my Facebook page at Corso for Council.