Candidate for
Council Member; City of Chula Vista; Seat 3

Making a Better Future for Chula Vista

Our city has made grave mistakes. In the early 1980`s we started underfunding necessary; spending for the repair and replacement of our infrastructure. Later we began building thousands of new houses without assuring a strong enough local economy to provide the tax base necessary to support all those homes. Instead of confronting these challenges during the recent good times, all too often our leadership opted for empty or hyper-negative political campaigns that only served to divide our community. Now our city is broke and infrastructure maintenance over $300 million in deficit - the evidence in our many potholes.

We look to the future from diverse points of view. Local business people, outside investors from San Diego, Neighborhood Advocates, dedicated Republicans and Democrats, Easterners and Westerners. We can choose to fight viscously among ourselves. Someone will always end up with more votes on election day. But will anyone really win?

We will never all agree about everything. But the truth is that to meet the challenges we face as a community - We need everyone. We must earn each others trust. We have to work together.

In 2009 our city hall tried the "tax our way out of our problems" approach. The public rejected a proposed sales tax increase by a 2:1 vote. Some have gloated and been dismissive of the Chula Vistans who advocated the tax as "the usual suspects". That view of people may be easy and enjoyable, but it is misguided and destructive.

Our neighbors who care about adequate parks for children and libraries for everyone are good people with important priorities. In many cases these people spend many hours a year volunteering in our community and/or spend money out of their own pockets to support civic organizations such as "The Friends of the Library". They are among the best of us and they should be honored.

The lesson of our experience is that we are not well served by "quick fixes". We need to apply ourselves to fundamental long term reforms that will leave our city better off 5, 10, or 20 years from now. There's not a lot of applause or flattering headlines for that approach, but responsible long term decision making is what we need and deserve.

The bay front is a potential economic engine for Chula Vista, but one which will not start running for a number of years. For decades our leadership has tended to concentrate on that hope and expectation at the expense of doing what should be done to strengthen our local economy in more down to earth ways.

After all, nothing is more important to Chula Vista's future than improving our local economy. Only an expanded tax base from a healthy local economy can provide the revenue necessary to maintain and enhance the quality of life in our neighborhoods.

To be prepared for making the most of better economic times, we need to start now. The South County Economic Development Commission has become a key player in economic analysis and planning. Their efforts will give us a much clearer idea about which industries are best suited to our strengths and needs as a region. They won't all be as sexy as biotech, but they will have the potential to strengthen us in critical ways.

We need to reach beyond government to recruit our most respected business leaders, provide them some city staff support, get them on an airplane and point them to the corporate headquarters of those companies we need to attract. We also need a no less rigorous but faster review and approval process so those tax paying employers don't give up on us after spending too much time trying to open up for business.

We must also not neglect our current local businesses. Both big and small. Inflexible and expensive regulations that do little or nothing to protect the public still exist. Our city government has earned a reputation for being unhelpful and unwelcoming. That must change.

Neighborhood advocates have been viewed as opponents, even enemies by some interested in investment in Chula Vista. This has been a mistake. With respect and consultation, these people can help us avoid mistakes and build a foundation of community support. We can accomplish much more working together as partners in improving our city than we ever could fighting among ourselves.

In short we must work together. If we approach the future with vision, sound values and courage - Chula Vista's best days should be ahead of us.

Sincerely,

Larry Breitfelder