Five-point Plan for Revitalizing Oceanside

By Terry Warren Johnson, Sr.

City Council must rededicate itself to civility and serving the people who elected them.

1. Real pension reform Rein in excessive benefits. Oceanside residents deserve real reform, not half-hearted efforts recently adopted by the City Council to deflect criticism and minimize pension crisis as an election issue. The truth is Oceanside's public safety unions need to negotiate and compromise in good faith for the good of all in the city; instead they have offered token "compromises" that leave the city in financial difficulty.

2. End fiscal mismanagement Stop unnecessary studies and hiring of of consultants for unwanted projects. The economic reality is that Oceanside does not have the money to launch some of the big-dollar projects proposed for the year ahead. This is simply believing that voters are foolish.

As we see with the State of California, agencies grow and cannot account for all monies under their perview. Oceanside needs to conduct an honest, top-to-bottom review of expenses, expenditures and staffing to see if tax dollars are wisely spent.

3. Promote economic growth Every effort must go toward restoring faith in Oceanside so that private investors see opportunity, not confusion, in the city. The infighting at City Hall drives away entrepreneurs and risk-takers who generate the jobs of tomorrow. Efforts must focus on retaining current businesses, encouraging growth and expansion so that more job opportunities are created inside our city. The recruitment of outside companies needs to be done. We need to showcase Oceanside's many strenghts that will appeal to job-creators.

4. End the give-aways Council needs to sacrifice legislative aides and the discretionary fund. The legislative aide salaries alone account for more than $400,000 annually. It is more important to use this money to keep open our libraries, parks, senior centers and community pool. Another cost-saving step is to end council salaries - serving the citizens of Oceanside should be an honor, not a high-paying career.

5. Restore civility and pride Partisan politics has turned City Hall into Gridlock Hall. Refocus council on Oceanside's priorities, not party-linked special-interest agendas. Oceanside needs to adopt reasonable campaign finance reform so that a resident can afford to run for a council seat. By doing so, the city will mature and end the current infighting that is self-destructive.