2012 Candidate for San Diego Mayor Tobiah Pettus

By Tobiah L. Pettus

"Roads. Roads. Roads. Our roads are horrible! The 8th worst in the United States in fact! Disappointed? I am. San Diego, let's fight for our roads! My vision for "America's Finest City" is a city without people living on the streets, where the roads are good, where there is no litter to be seen. Making this vision for "America's Finest City" a reality and making it easier

The following is my official City of San Diego Statement of Qualifications. This official 200-word statement will be in the official voter guide, which is distributed to all registered voters on behalf of the City of San Diego.

"Roads. Roads. Roads. Our roads are horrible! The 8th worst in the United States in fact! Disappointed? I am. San Diego, let's fight for our roads! My vision for "America's Finest City" is a city without people living on the streets, where the roads are good, where there is no litter to be seen. Making this vision for "America's Finest City" a reality and making it easier for businesses to expand, come here and prosper, will lead us towards economic recovery. Let's bring San Diego jobs!

I am Tobiah Pettus. Haven't heard of me? Instead of wasting campaign money on advertising, I donated $16,000 to homeless organizations of San Diego, making a difference now.

Based on my extensive review of the state of the City, my opinion is that the City of San Diego's budget is balanced. In fact, there's a surplus. Comprehensive Pension Reform addresses only ~1.75% of the City's annual budget. Reform, though needed, should not include the unethical reduction of earned retirements.

MayorTobiahPettus.com Currently, Tierrasanta Community Council Director. COA(HOA) Board member.

CEO over Yahogle.com. Vice President IPOBuild. Commercial Construction Manager.

Biology/Chemistry degree - San Diego; Graduate School.

Currently unemployed, fighting for my wife, Holly (SDUSD Teacher), and our son, Josiah, due 4-26-12."

Why are you running for mayor?

I, Tobiah Pettus, am running for Mayor of San Diego because I am fighting for my wife, Holly, my son Josiah, for my family, friends and all of my neighbors - the people of San Diego.

I love Holly with all of my heart. My love for Holly brought me back to San Diego and we were blissfully married on July 17th, 2010. In so doing, I left a very good job in Arizona to start our new family in San Diego. Since July 17th, 2010, San Diego has met me with employment ground harder than Titanium steel. I cannot dig in, I cannot provide for my love. Family and friends on the inside have tried to aid me, but to no avail. I am highly intelligent, for proof, my transcripts are posted under "About Tobiah" on my website. With my characteristics, skills and extremely hard work ethic, the employment ground should not be this hard. I should be able to provide for my family, but unfortunately, the virtually impenetrable road to employment is the current reality in San Diego. Looking alongside me, almost 10% of my fellow San Diegans are unemployed. I see pan-handlers on almost every corner, I see homeless individuals living and dying on the streets, I see roads in the condition of a 3rd world country, and I see litter along our roadways and on our beaches. None of this should be. My love for Holly drives me. I will penetrate the road to employment, not only for myself, but for all San Diegans. I will bring San Diego jobs! In so doing, I will truly build "America's Finest City". I will not be defeated.

Together, we will implement the people's vision for San Diego and we will bring San Diego jobs!

What makes you qualified to run the country's eighth-largest city?

Vision. Leadership is about vision. I, Tobiah Pettus, have the vision of the people.

The people do not want people living and dying on their streets. The people want good roads.

The people do not want litter on their streets or on their beaches. The people truly want "America's Finest City".

As part of the vision of the people, we need to make it easy for individuals and businesses to expand, come to San Diego, prosper, flourish, and to rebuild San Diego. We need to make San Diego new again.

By implementing the above vision, we will truly build "America's Finest City".

Titles? I've been CEO over Yahogle.com, Vice President of Business Development of IPObuild, and a Construction Manager. I have managed 40+ people on a daily basis.

Political experience? I'm a Director on the Tierrasanta Community Council, and a COA/HOA Board Member.

Intelligence? My degree is in Biology and Chemistry. I went to graduate school. I have knowledge in the Biotechnology sector, which is critical in the economy of San Diego. My transcripts are even posted on my website MayorTobiahPettus.com under "About Tobiah". Running the 8th largest City will be the hardest job that I have ever had. There is no doubt about that. However, I am qualified and I will not sit behind a desk. I will get down into the trenches and I will give all of my talent, passion, and energies. I will turn the tide. I will bring San Diego jobs! What is most important about being a leader, is being a servant of the people. You have to have the vision of the people and you have to listen and lead with strong character and moral virtue. I will never be a politician. I will always be a statesman.

What will your priorities be if elected to office?

My first priority is to return San Diego's appearance to "America's Finest City!" In order to draw business, an establishment must look good, if not impressive. In the process of becoming "America's Finest City", revitalization will occur and our economy will boom. To draw tourism and businesses to San Diego, we need to return to the basics . . .
1. Our roads need to be good.
2. Homeless individuals and pan-handlers need to be off the streets. We need to provide shelter, food, clothing, and more job opportunities for this to happen. San Diego's tourism and business industries will not thrive with them living on the streets.
3. We need to bring back the "Create a Clean San Diego" campaign. Litter must be removed from our roads and our beaches need to be cleaned up.
4. Developmental Services needs to make permits easy and affordable to obtain, and the building process needs to be streamlined. We need to make it easy for businesses to expand or come to San Diego. This will revitalize our City and power drive our economy forward. Safety is a top priority. The image of the Police Department needs to be restored. Citizens and tourists need to feel safe and the seemingly dramatic increase in crime needs to be reversed. Obviously, the San Diego economy is the highest of all priorities. To this end, there needs to be transparency in our City budget. For example, the budget might state 10 million in a particular category, but it does not specify how it is spent. I would begin by locking the City spending down, department by department, and require approval before expenditures could be made. This is a monumental task, and of course would have to be streamlined, to not interrupt our City's function. We must know where every dollar goes in order to tighten our budget. This step is the key to diverting our City's wealth into our infrastructure and appearance and thus, attracting tourism, new business, and driving our economy forward.

You are a registered Republican. Did you seek out the endorsement of the Republican party? Why or why not?

The 2012 Mayoral race for San Diego is a non-partisan election. I cannot stress that enough. There is a reason that City government is non-partisan. The hot button issues of the parties have little or nothing to do with City government. Those hot button issues exist mainly on the State and Federal levels. The parties need to stop trying to strong arm the governance of the City of San Diego and to get out of all City campaigns. On the City governance level, the irrelevant issues of the State and Federal levels only serve to divide us. For the most part, the governance of the City of San Diego, and the vision of the people of San Diego concerns the following:
1. San Diegans do not want homeless people living and dying on our streets. San Diegans do not want pan-handlers on almost every corner.
2. San Diegans want good roads. San Diegans want good infrastructure, including bridges, reliable electrical power, reliable water, reliable sewage systems, etc...
3. San Diegans want the litter removed from their roadways and beaches.
4. San Diegans want the economy to dramatically improve and San Diegans want jobs! What the people want is non-partisan. The above mentioned vision is the vision of all San Diegans, regardless of party affiliation. The vision of San Diegans is the vision of "America's Finest City". The parties need to remove themselves from City government and stop dividing neighbor against neighbor. The vision of all San Diegans is a united front. Our vision will become reality.

As part of the Mayoral race, the Ethics Commission allows candidates to receive a maximum of $1000 in the primaries from the Democratic Party, Republican Party, etc...

I asked both the San Diego Republican Party and the San Diego Democratic Party for $1,000 and stated that I would give their $1000 to the homeless individuals of San Diego, on their behalf. The San Diego Republican Party never responded to my inquiry. The San Diego Democratic Party responded immediately, but refused to support the homeless organizations of San Diego, via my campaign.

As far as the endorsement of the San Diego Republican Party, again the Republican Party needs to get out of City governance because their issues are on the State and Federal levels and only serve to divide the united vision of all San Diegans. However, the endorsement of the San Diego Republican Party was given before any candidate was an officially recognized candidate by the City of San Diego. This nomination occurred before any one was an official candidate (though I had officially declared my intention in April 2011 to run for Mayor of San Diego), as such I was not afforded the right to participate in the nomination process, I was not afforded the right to write, I was not afforded the right to speak, I was not afforded the right to answer any questions and I was not afforded the right to be on the Republican Party's nomination ballot.

Until Nathan Fletcher changed his party affiliation today, there were three Republicans in the race. Why did you throw your hat in the ring to be the fourth?

Again, "The 2012 Mayoral race for San Diego is a non-partisan election. I cannot stress that enough. There is a reason City government is non-partisan. The hot button issues of the parties have little to nothing to do with City government. Those hot button issues exist mainly on the State and Federal levels. The parties need to stop trying to strong arm the governance of the City of San Diego and to get out of all City campaigns. On the City governance level, the irrelevant issues of the State and Federal levels only serve to divide us. For the most part, the governance of the City of San Diego, and the vision of the people of San Diego" is the same, and is, in fact, united!

Of the official candidates though, to clarify facts, I was the third hat in the ring out of the five mayoral candidates, not the fourth Republican (see following table). I would have been in even sooner, but as I recollect, I was waiting for the official time to declare my intention. I am not sure, but it is possible that the others declared their intentions pre-maturely to the official time to do so. The City Clerk would know this information for sure. My information on the official start was also coming from the press and I may not have heard right away.

2012 City of San Diego Candidates: 4/27/2011

Potential Candidate Name

http://www.sdcitybeat.com/sandiego/blog-304-mayors-race-update-c.html

Regardless, I have the vision of the people. Fighting for Holly and the vision of San Diegans is why I entered the 2012 Mayoral Race. The City of San Diego has money!

The City of San Diego's annual income is ~ 2,750 million dollars per year!

The budget is balanced!

The City has a surplus!

There is no crisis in San Diego City.

Crisis wins an election!

We are poised to implement the vision of all San Diegans!

Did you know that Pension Reform only addresses less than 1.75% of the City of San Diego's Annual Budget?

Current projections are putting the absolute maximum savings closer to 1.3% to 1.4%.

Plus, Bob Filner is 100% correct. CPR may not even save a nickel. In fact, it may cost us more. CPR does have legal challenges, despite the confidence to the contrary. Also, CPR's savings can be 100% overturned by 6/9 Council votes. Those 6 votes will likely be on the council.

Pension Reform is not a vision for San Diego. Pension Reform will be decided by the voters. Thus, it is not the major issue. How you compensate employees is not a vision or purpose of a business, certainly not the business of the City of San Diego.

And seriously, what about the other 98.25% of the budget?

Did you know?... There are easy savings in the 98.25% that far surpass the savings of Comprehensive Pension Reform.

And where is the vision for the future of San Diego?

The people's vision is my vision:
1. Homeless off the streets.
2. Good roads everywhere (we are far beyond filling potholes).
3. Litter removed.
4. Most importantly, bringing San Diego Jobs.

Pension reform is inwardly focused.

We need to be outwardly focused on bringing 10's of thousands of jobs to San Diego!

I have the vision for the future of San Diego.

I will win the 2012 City of San Diego's Mayoral race. Furthermore, I will decidedly win the Mayoral race in the Primary election. I am already preparing my victory statement.

Given the high name I.D. of the four other candidates on the ballot, why do you think you can win?

I am not a politician. I have the vision of the people. I also possess the skills, the tenacity, the principles, the courage and the integrity to do what it takes to truly make San Diego "America's Finest City" and to bring San Diego jobs!

High name I.D.? I have that too.

I am privileged to be a descendant of a founding father and to herald from a long line of patriots.

Most people I have ever met who recognize my family name, the name Pettus, think of the Civil Rights movement because of the bridge in Selma, Alabama where Martin Luther King's famous march occurred. The Edmund Pettus Bridge "had a huge role in the fight for African American voting rights... Due to the events on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the many people who came to march walked away with a huge accomplishment. The Voting Rights Act made discriminatory voting practices illegal and put a stop to the persecution of the African Americans who had been working for the cause. Section 4 of the Act ended the requirement of literacy tests in six of the Southern states. These states included: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Section 5 stated that no one could make a change to their voting rules unless first authorized by a three-judge court, the District of Columbia, or by the Attorney General of the United States." (quoted from Wikipedia + Edmund Pettus Bridge)

My forefather, Thomas Pettus, arrived in the New World in late 1630 or early1631, and rose to prominence with his appointment on the Governor's Council, the upper house of Virginia's legislature and was part of the final success of Jamestown colony, the first colony in the new world. Thus, was born the oldest continuously functioning representative legislature in the world, a pivotal event in the ultimate formation of our current democratic system of government. The Pettus homestead, Littletown, can be found on the James River at Kingsmill.

His son, also named Thomas Pettus, was a Vestryman of Bruton Parish (now at the heart of restored Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia), where a plaque bearing his name can be seen alongside those of many of our founding fathers who also attended this same church, during the same period, in the colonial capital - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry... As an elected member of the House of Burgesses, his grandson, also ironically named Thomas Pettus, was an elected member of the Willamsburg Convention of 1774, that chose Virginia's delegation to the First Continental Congress, namely, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. As large landowners, the Pettus family and all our other founding fathers risked all to take a stand on the belief that all men and women are "created equal and endowed by the creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Indeed, like many families, much was lost. Despite subsequent years witnessing the rise and fall of fortunes, our family has held onto the belief that sacrificing for our fellow man is worth the cost. Most of my family died in the Revolutionary War and in the Civil War which followed. In recent years, I have sat at the feet of my forefathers who served in the second World War, Korea, and Vietnam.

I am a direct descendant from Thomas Pettus. For further information, please see the Library of Congress for the full genealogy of the Pettus founding family. This book, Thomas Petyous of Norwich, England and His Pettus Descendants in England and Virginia,

is kept in the Library of Congress, because it is a book detailing the history of a founding family. The spelling of Pettus was originally Petyous, and this history book, the history of my family, begins with Thomas Petyous, in 1470. Petyous is originally a Greek name, though they traveled to England, via France. Petyous means "the house of Peter".

It is time to take our stand. I will fight for the people of San Diego!

What inspires you? Who do you thank for your freedom? Did your family land at Ellis Island, join a wagon train heading west, fight against tyranny, or in some other way do whatever it took to be here? Many have even fought and died for our freedom! But aren't our liberties worth protecting? This is why who you choose as your leader is so important - they are guardians of these freedoms.

So, who do you trust to lead? I prefer someone who will put my interest in front of theirs - someone willing to SERVE. I will serve the people of San Diego!

It is time to take our stand. I will fight for the people of San Diego!

What are your concerns (if any) about not being a candidate backed by major establishments or organizations?

I am not concerned. Our leaders are elected by the people. Our leaders are supposed to be OF the people and FOR the people. Major establishments, organizations and parties do not dictate who is worth our time or our vote.

On June 5th, 2012, I will be backed by the people of San Diego. On June 5th, 2012, the people of San Diego will win a great victory through me.

Together, we will implement the people's vision for San Diego and we will bring San Diego jobs!

What are you doing to help people get to know you and vote for you?

Every voter will receive the City of San Diego's official voter guide. In this booklet are the 200 words of my Statement of Qualifications. Every voter will thus have the opportunity to begin to know me. They can also visit my website and learn more about me. In addition, I respond to every opportunity given to me. The people of San Diego will thus know me and the process of democracy will chose me to be the next Mayor of San Diego. I will be given an overwhelming victory in the June 5th, 2012 Primary, by the citizens of San Diego. I, in turn, will fight for them, for the vision of the people, and for jobs!

Your fellow candidates are using their money to promote themselves on TV, mailers, Facebook, flashy websites, etc. What is the strategy behind donating all of your campaign contributions to the homeless?

Every voter in San Diego will know who each of the candidates are, what they stand for, and what their vision for San Diego is. This is accomplished by the City of San Diego's official voter guide, containing the 200 words of each Statement of Qualifications, by each candidate's individual website, and by how each candidate is represented in the media and debates. Spending money to be promoted on TV, mailers, Facebook, and flashy websites is absolutely unnecessary. The voters will know the candidates regardless. That is a fact.

The citizens of San Diego are disgusted by politics. The people are very tired of political candidates spending thousands, millions, 10's of millions, even 100's of millions of dollars, dragging each other through the mud, via ads. The people are tired of dirty politics. This new political "tradition" was never the intent of our Founding Fathers. The people want champions of the people.

So, who do you trust to lead? I prefer someone who will put my interest in front of theirs - someone willing to SERVE. I will serve the people of San Diego! Serving the people was intended to be a sacrifice, a sacred act. A servant leader is a person of virtue, a person of integrity.

We, the people, know there is a humanitarian crisis in San Diego. The people's vision of "America's Finest City" is to not have people living and dying on our streets. This fact is morally wrong, and it is also extraordinarily deleterious to the state of the City of San Diego, to our tourism industry, and to our various business industries. I love our home, San Diego, and I know that you do too! Thus, though I am unemployed, I still gave to make a difference in San Diego now. I believe that this sets a strong example. Thus, every single dollar donated to my campaign will continue to go to the homeless organizations of San Diego. I will not waste my campaign money on promoting myself, but I will give it towards serving the highest and best good of all San Diegans. This is our act of love for San Diego.

I would also strongly encourage my fellow candidates to make a political statement with me, by forever changing politics as we know it, for the foreseeable future. You have raised over 3 million dollars. You do not need it. I strongly urge you to give it all to the homeless organizations of San Diego. Approximately 3 million dollars or whatever is left will make a very significant difference in San Diego now. Please, help us to move San Diego towards a permanent ongoing solution to homelessness, instead of wasting so much potential for good on ads.

Tip: Giving the wealth of your campaigns to the homeless organizations of San Diego is, in fact, the only way that you can possibly hope to defeat me in the June, 5th, 2012 primary election. Do this for San Diego - give your wealth to the poor, the needy, and the downtrodden, and your true love for San Diego will be known and confirmed. You will truly be a servant of the people of San Diego.

What prior professional or educational experiences have you had that have prepared you to be the mayor of San Diego?

Currently, Tierrasanta Community Council Director. COA(HOA) Board member.

CEO over Yahogle.com. Vice President IPOBuild. Commercial Construction Manager.

Biology/Chemistry degree - San Diego; Graduate School.

What types of jobs are you searching for right now?

I am currently seeking employment in the following fields: Internet, Biotechnology, Defense Contractor or Politics I am fighting for my wonderful wife, Holly, and for my son Josiah, who is almost here. I will provide for my family!

What has your job search experience been like in the past year and how has it shaped your desire to run for mayor?

San Diego has met me with employment ground harder than Titanium steel. I cannot dig in, I cannot provide for my love. Family and friends on the inside have tried to aid me, but to no avail. I am highly intelligent, for proof, my transcripts are posted under "About Tobiah" on my website. With my characteristics, skills and extremely hard work ethic, the employment ground should not be this hard. I should be able to provide for my family, but unfortunately, the virtually impenetrable road to employment is the current reality in San Diego.

Looking alongside me, almost 10% of my fellow San Diegans are unemployed. I see pan-handlers on every corner, I see homeless individuals living and dying on the streets, I see roads in the condition of a 3rd world country, and I see litter along our roadways and on our beaches. None of this should be. My love for Holly drives me. I will penetrate the road to employment, not only for myself, but for all San Diegans. I will bring San Diego jobs! In so doing, I will truly build "America's Finest City". I will not be defeated.

Together, we will implement the people's vision for San Diego and we will bring San Diego jobs!

Why choose to launch a political career when you and your wife are expecting Josiah so soon?

I, Tobiah Pettus, am running for Mayor of San Diego because I am fighting for my wife Holly, my son Josiah, for my family, friends and all of my neighbors - the people of San Diego. I love Holly with all of my heart. My love for Holly brought me back to San Diego and we were blissfully married on July 17th, 2010. In so doing, I left a very good job in Arizona to start our new family in San Diego. Since July 17th, 2010, San Diego has met me with employment ground harder than Titanium steel. I cannot dig in, I cannot provide for my love. Family and friends on the inside have tried to aid me, but to no avail. I am highly intelligent, for proof, my transcripts are posted under "About Tobiah" on my website. With my characteristics, skills and extremely hard work ethic, the employment ground should not be this hard. I should be able to provide for my new family, but unfortunately, the virtually impenetrable road to employment is the current reality in San Diego.

I launched my political intentions in April of 2011, before we were pregnant with Josiah. The fact that Josiah is now coming in less than 1 month only stokes my fire. Josiah only magnifies my purpose and drive. I will not fail my family. I will not be defeated.

Together, we will implement the people's vision for San Diego and we will bring San Diego jobs!

Is he your first child? If not, how many children do you have?

Yes, Josiah is my first child. Yes, Josiah is Holly's first child. Holly is my first and only forever wife. I am Holly's first and only forever husband. Our love is eternal.

Holly and I would like to have 3 or 4 children. Josiah is our first child.

How did you meet your wife?

Holly - My Love ... My wife... Our Romance Story... Holly and I first reconnected in June 2009 after being "family friends" for many years. Holly was born in San Diego and has lived here her entire life. Our romance story is quite the story. It's a story of perfect timing. Originally, our dads attended the same high school and even played on the same baseball team. Years later, Holly's family met my Mom at a Father-Daughter camp (that she worked at) that they would attend every year when Holly was a child. Eventually, our families discovered that we had been interconnected for years and all met together for the first time when Holly was in high school and I had just started attending Point Loma Nazarene University. I like to call Holly "My High School Sweetheart" since that's when I first met her. But, needless to say, many, many years (and prompting from our families) went by before our romance actually began. This waiting time in our lives enabled us to grow individually, which prepared us to be the grateful couple that we are now. I'm thankful that marrying Holly brought me back to the city that I grew to love so much in college. We love living and loving each other in San Diego!

San Diego is "America's Finest City".

I read on your site that Holly is a teacher. What grade level and what school does she teach at? How long has she been a teacher for?

Yes, Holly is an incredible teacher! Holly teaches a combination K/1 class, a mixed class of both Kindergarten and 1st Grade students.

Holly teaches at Lafayette Elementary School in the San Diego Unified School District.

Holly has been a teacher for 13 years.

What part of San Diego do you live in?

Holly and I reside in Tierrasanta, "The Island in the Hills", with our puppy, Denali. Our son, Josiah, is due to arrive in less than 1 month!

In what capacity have you been involved with city government or local campaigns in the past?

Currently, Tierrasanta Community Council Director. COA(HOA) Board member.

In the past, when I first started looking into the political field in San Diego for the purposes of employment, I went to almost every Representative, Senator, State Senator, State Assemblymen, etc... seeking employment with them or help with finding employment. I even offered to aid their efforts for free with the hopes that they would know me, my work ethic and that eventually, I would gain employment. Most would not even see me. No one helped me. All of my offers to help for free were categorically refused.

Above questions were courtesy of Jen Kuhney + Union Tribune