Official Platform

By Dustin T. Johnston

Land-Use decisions that support and serve Carlsbad Preserve protect and promote the Agro-economy and agricultural soils from development and other misuses. Increase Natural Open Space, State and City Parks. Reduce automobile traffic and create street safety Establish an effective school bus system for our schools Conservative Carlsbad Energy Efficiency and Solar Program

Official Platform:

In order for us to make it through the 21st Century, we need to maximize our regional energy, water and food independence. Our regional economy can be developed further to retain dollars for our businesses and create jobs by developing our local renewable energy, water and agricultural resources. Being conscience and supportive of how we shape our city through land-use policy and transportation are key. We need practicable means of removing the chokehold of traffic on our streets and insuring our law enforcement and fire departments needs are met to be part of the plan. Energy Efficiency and alternative energy programs, laws & funding already established with the state and federal government should be aggressively pursued at the local level. Additional issues of concern are effective law and fire protection ability, government accountability, education and arts; all are necessary for us to have the safe, honest, and beautiful community we want to live and work.

• Protect our last agricultural soils from development and other misuses. With the rise of energy and world tension, we must have food security in case our supplies are cut off or become too costly.
• Development is necessary, ecological design is fundamentally necessary. We should avoid building in our floodplains, essential wildlife habitats or on our best agricultural soils. Standards should be adopted to reward developers who are sensitive to building proper footprints and utilization of green material and principals through "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" ( LEED)

I) Preserve Protect and Promote the Agro-economy

a) Work with local trust and property owners to transfer development rights and/or record conservation easements in favor of agriculture based uses to increase Natural Open Spaces. b) Work with local Trusts and property owners to buy farmland in Carlsbad to increase agricultural opportunity, natural openspace and leave corridors connected c) Work with the state, local authorities, the farm bureau and farmers to create a transition of Methyl Bromide beyond state demands by creating and utilizing a local time dependent program to phase in Carlsbad City AG or OS existing mitigation funds to assist in leaving lands fallow until organic status can be achieved or other alternative that keeps farming viable. d) Establish and brand a Carlsbad Agriculture label ex. "Organically Grown in Carlsbad, CA and Grown in Carlsbad, CA. e) Create an Environmental/AG department with staffed Agronomists, aqua culturists and ecologists to build the local AG economy, educate on land-use strategies and steward the environment. f) Introduce an agriculture land-use implementation plan to a citizen's committee II) YES Proposition E(nvironment) "Save the Strawberry and Flower Growing Fields Act of 2006" a) Save the Strawberry and fields initiative permanently provides an opportunity for Open-Space Coastal Agriculture Zone and buffers the community from further "brick and mortar" b)This community initiative preserves, protects and promotes the farming/wildlife corridor that makes Carlsbad a distinct designation for agri-tourism and high quality of life. c)Voting Y- E-S proposition E(nvironment) will insure no more traffic, residential or commercial buildings from Carlsbad's agriculture landmark.

III) Increase Natural Open Space, State and City Parks while cutting the pork from the city budget. a) Maintain, improve, and expand city parks; specifically areas for park expansion should be in El Salto Creek, Ponto & Calavera Hills areas. b) Alternative to the city 64 million dollar golf course possibilities would be but not limited to: halt the golf course scale and expenditures and recoup city losses by leasing to farmers, increasing cultural and art facilities, considering amplitheaters, allowing migrant housing, creating an Arbortorium, building community botanical gardens, creating a theme park based on farming, making a natural park, or having a petting zoo for children. c) A combination of any or all these attractions may be best for the community to building the farming spirit and pay for the enormous costs spent for the golf project to date.

2) Reduce automobile traffic and create street safety through proper design

a) Support the Carlsbad Unified School district, law and fire departments and our parents in utilizing and forging an effective school bus system to all elementary, middle and high schools through a busing CO-OP, or public funding

b) Consider dedicated bus lanes and/or a rail car to Coaster connection from Carlsbad Village Dr. Station down El Camino .Real to Poinsettia Station; at key junctions leave a T to connect to Sprinter line in the future. c) Ask developers to pay their fair share of regional traffic impacts, and redesign. projects so that the number of car-trips are reduced. d) Continue working with SANDAG and North County Transit in developing and implementing traffic strategies

3) Conservative Carlsbad Energy Efficiency and Solar Program

(I)The City of Carlsbad could save taxpayers millions a year just by implementing cost-effective energy policy and encouraging existing state and federal solar programs

a) Work with the solar industry and the community in workshops and legislation to increase business activity and solar installation systems to Carlsbad residences and businesses. Possibilities include free-trade zones, joint marketing campaigns, government facilities installation, and financial flexibilities for solar enterprises.

b) Public education on Million Solar Roofs initiative SB1 and other state, federal and local programs to implement solar in the community's homes, businesses & government buildings.

c) Implement State Assemble Bill AB 117 "Community choice for energy" which gives the local government rights on how their electricity is generated and distributed.

d) Work on a feed-in tariff that makes the public utility pay people who contribute excess energy to the grid from their solar systems.

4) Tourism: The more our city becomes energy, water and food self-sufficient, the more we will benefit from the dollars tourists spend here. (I)Today, almost all the money that tourists spend here on energy, water, and food, leaves our local economy because all three resources are imported. The money spent on theses resources by tourists could go instead into the pockets of local businesses and their employees if they were produced locally. Since most of the people earning this money would be living locally, most of what they earned would also be spent locally which insures vitality in the local economy.

a) Work with the local Chamber, land trust, NEW city Environmental/ AG department, property owners and tourist bureau to market farming as an attraction and profitable enterprise. 5) Stand Up to Special Interests

(I)The only way to maintain + or even improve + quality of life in the face of urban growth pressures is to elect honest, independent candidates who will stand up for what's right for the common good of our community.

a) Term-limits set on elected council members + Mayor b) Make city manager and city attorney elected positions

c) Set up 4 districts "quadrants" with a responsible councilman to each one.

6) Increase Local Security (I) Working closely with law enforcement, fire protection and community groups' needs to keep neighborhoods safe will be paramount. We can keep crime "on the run" by increasing local employment opportunities that manifest itself from becoming more energy, water and food self-sufficient. In addition, and a) Emulate Dallas's "Interoperable Emergency Network" for cops, firefighters, FEDS, and other authorities for a more robust regional and local network communication program to respond in emergencies and provide our community safe in a time of need. b) We need to be on target by giving our law enforcement new shooting facilities the 64 million dollar golf course displaced. c) Make Carlsbad less vulnerable to the cut off or price manipulation of energy, water or food supplies. d) Develop local resources that create local jobs that will keep our dollars circulating in the Carlsbad. We'll increase our local security and independence + and the ability to respond effectively in emergencies 7) Investigate feasibility of a University in Carlsbad (I)We need to teach ourselves, each other, our children how our planet's life-support system works and how we can do the things we need and want to do in ways that protect human and life-support systems. Education is vital. If we don't know how our planet's life-support system functions, how can we use its productive potential sustainably? a) Carlsbad offers the perfect learning environment for Marine, biological, agriculture (permaculture), aquaculture, holistic science, art, cultural, music, ecological design, renewable energy and physical fitness. Coupled with standard majors, Carlsbad will offer a home to a world class educational institution that incorporate the very best aspects of what our city has to offer. Moreover, we would create a base for our children to utilize for their higher education goals and welcome new students from around the world to come an experience the Gateway to San Diego; Carlsbad! Joint efforts of the city, committees and local institutions will be in discussion to develop a plan to incorporate concepts and later refine it to possible sites within Carlsbad. 8) Arts and Cultural (I)Historically, consciously or unconsciously, the artist has served as a kind of attractive force for the rest of humanity. They are known for pointing out new things or new ways of seeing the familiar. The artist has also played the role of a heightened sensory receptor for society at large. Meaning they have used their senses in shedding light to threats, challenges, or opportunities as yet unrecognized by the rest of us. Then by using art they bring it to our attention. a) Today the artists have a new challenge + to imagine an ecologically sustainable future and use art to create that future. As an artist/designer, I belong to this group, and I encourage all artists to join in. b)Perhaps more than ever before, artists have the power to transform the world into a pleasant, more helpful, happy, and life-support-sustaining place for ourselves, our children and future generations. Supporting art and cultural activities and groups are a fundamental priority.

In closing, together we will make our city more energy, water and food secure which will stimulate economic activity so we can funnel additional resources into our natural open space, traffic woes, energy independence, security, education, and art's goals. In fact, we hold the potential to be a self-supporting city with the proper planning standards and design. In fact, good land management and efforts to enhance the local economy based on ecological wisdom and conservative common sense will set ourselves apart from other Southern California cities because we will have a city founded on security against rising energy, fuel, water and, food (land) costs. Our hope is you will adopt these fundamental positions as your own and support our "Values In Action campaign"

Vote for Dustin T. Johnston this November and Visit our website at http://www.DustinJohnston.org