Candidate for
Member, City Council; City of El Segundo

I am person who believes the El Segundo community can reach success if we follow a logical and systematic process comprised of some simple elements; we carefully assess the problem, we seek solutions and involve the community, and we think about how our decisions may impact the community (both short and long-term).

I am often surprised that our City Council leadership often seems rushed to make decisions, and does not always consider the short and long-term consequences of their actions. I think we can and should do better.

There is a reason why we need to do things in the proper order, using a logical sequence, developing priorities, using best practices, and remembering lessons learned from the mistakes of the past. I believe in plans.

One of the core elements missing in the city is a Strategic Plan. The residents don't really know what the city's long term plans are because most of the decisions being made are done for the short term - some problem rises to the surface and only then is it addressed.

I want to see a 3-5 year Strategic Plan that outlines specifically what the city wants to accomplish over the next 3 years (short-term). Then I want to see a longer range vision of 5 years of what the city wants to work toward in future. Only then can the residents of El Segundo feel that there is a clear vision for our city; how we will finances our future needs, the priorities for the projects and programs, and map for the future. We deserve that. I will make it happen.

Many of the mistakes made in El Segundo's history are based in hurrying through issues, not evaluating the short-term and long-term impacts of the decisions being made, and not adequately assessing the possible consequences of our actions.

We not only need to look at what is in front of us, we need to look ahead at the future (apply foresight) and thoughtfully assess what may happen as a result of the proposals being placed before us.

My core values reflect the basics we are all taught: living within our means, not spending what you don't have, planning for the future, and establishing contingency plans for what may happen to us along the way.

I believe in a balanced approach to how we support our businesses, downtown development, public safety, and other vital services. I believe in a balanced approach to solving problems in our community. I believe the city administrators and politicians have focused far too long on making our public safety officials some of the highest paid officials in California.

El Segundo has paid a heavy price for this past philosophy, and the last three years have not been kind to the community with the loss of jobs, programs, increased stress, and questions about how we will finance our critical needs for the challenges that lie ahead. We must get our fiscal house in order, and we need to plan ahead about how we will finance and prioritize the things we want to do.

Moderation and respect for the mutual concerns and issues is critical. Balance is important. I believe our Council should represent all of our vital interests and favor no entity in particular. This maintains objectivity, and demonstrates equity, character, and integrity.

The city council should be good stewards of public monies and should strive to lead by example. The budget philosophies of the past must be remembered as a lesson-learned: to be conservative in projecting future revenues; to prioritize new revenues; to limit salary growth and future benefits (modest growth); and plan for the financing of citywide infrastructure repairs.

If we follow some basic principles, El Segundo can move on from the economic crisis and move forward in recovery.

My overall philosophy is moderation and discipline.

We can't do everything at once. We need to think before we act. We need to assess the impact of our decisions. We need to prioritize what we are doing. We need a good financial plan to pay for the things we need and want to do.

We should strive to pay our way forward. We should not create unnecessary debt that risks our future. We should avoid raising taxes and fees, and we should protect the interests of our seniors who live on modest, fixed incomes.