At the San Diego Democrats for Environmental Action District 6 forum on Nov. 17th, I was asked what makes D6 unique compared to the city’s other eight council districts. The answer was clear.
District 6 is the council seat most often left behind when it comes to effective community transit options that would not only result in cleaner air, but less congestion on our crowded roads and horrendously broken streets. It’s a dynamic I’ve emphasized again and again in my campaign remarks.
Granted, with University City now joining us in District 6, our newly-aligned district boundaries now also encompass the Mid-Coast Trolley Extension in UTC. And while that’s good news for our neighbors on the west end of D6, in Mira Mesa we’re still starving for bus routes to take commuters to and from critical employment and economic centers like MCAS Miramar, Convoy, and Sorrento Valley in a reasonable amount of time.
Imagine how just a few electric buses could chip away at the traffic on our hyper-congested streets – and get our family members and neighbors to their jobs more effectively and safely.
It’s not a revolutionary proposal, but given the way Mira Mesa and District 6 have been left behind by Downtown, transit is another piece of our leadership deficit at City Hall. As your next District 6 councilmember, I’ll make effective transit a priority, along with promoting new housing opportunities literally in our backyard in Miramar and Kearny Mesa.
We not only need housing that our neighbors and their kids and grandkids can afford, but we need the transit to give our neighbors, new and old, real options for getting out of their cars. The trick is for both to arrive at the same time. Strong leadership will get us there, but a weak acceptance of the status quo will only result in more of the same.
San Diego District 6 has been left behind for way too long, and the Downtown special interests that have bought their way into this race and our district aren’t interested in addressing our problems. Only clear, assertive, and effective leadership for our communities will bring solutions. That’s why I’m running for San Diego City Council.
That’s also why I’ve earned the support of County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and other elected officials and community members, and it’s why our campaign slogan is Neighborhoods First. Our neighbors are starving for a change – in our transit, housing, infrastructure, and leadership profiles. That’s why D6 is coalescing around our campaign.
I invite you to reach out if you have questions, and let us know if you’d like to host a neighborhood coffee to meet with your friends and neighbors to talk more. We’re in this together. Neighborhoods first, community always.
