What is the biggest issue facing the...

What is the biggest issue facing the city?

The need for greater community participation and representation in

determining city policies, especially budget priorities.

Considering such issues as the sports complex lawsuit and

improperly converted condominiums, do you agree with criticism that

the city has been mismanaged? How would you run the city better?

There has been some mismanagement of the creation of the sports

complex, and in the handling of condo conversion regulations. Better

checks and balances along with common sense would help prevent

mismanagement. Before selecting a company to give taxpayers’ money

to, make sure the company has a good history. Regarding the

condo-conversion scandal, hopefully the law enforcement

investigation will also determine if city staff knew of the alleged

illegal practices several years ago, as reported. To prevent this

from occurring again, condo buyers should be fully informed of what

the law requires at the time of their business transaction. Also,

unless the city can show that the condo buyers knowingly tried to

avoid paying the required fees, it’s wrong for the city to charge

them a single penny. The city should get the money from the people

who are actually to blame.

Given that the future of the Bolsa Chica still is unclear, what is

your position on development on the upper portion of the mesa and

other environmental issues facing the city?

We should do everything possible to preserve our wetland areas and

save them from development. We must fight the national trend of the

Bush administration to destroy this vital natural resource. Also, I

am opposed to the proposed Poseidon desalination plant on

environmental protection grounds because I am opposed to privatizing

control of our water resources. Poseidon would set a legal precedent

under international treaties that would take away the peoples’ right

to have democratic control over their water resources. Water

privatization has been a disaster in America and abroad. The right of

the public to have affordable and accessible drinking water under its

control is a fundamental human right that should never be surrendered

for the profit of a corporation.

What direction do you think development -- such as the Strand,

Pacific City, Bella Terra and a third hotel proposed between the

Hilton Waterfront and Hyatt -- should be headed in the city?

I was very disappointed in the manner in which the Planning

Commission and City Council went back on its word to provide an

independent examination of toxic waste issues in the proposed Pacific

City project. With proper checks and balances, including democratic

participation in the planning process, I support well-planned and

balanced development that will bring needed revenues to the city.

However, hotels in the redevelopment area and other large businesses

in the city, like Wal-Mart, should be required to pay a living wage

to the workers, without whom progress would be impossible.