Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
Other political positions held: Commissioner, CA Independent Redistricting Commission 2010-2020
Southern California home prices are hitting all-time highs, forcing many out of the market for homes because they cannot afford them. And it's kept many prospective sellers from giving up their homes, because they too cannot afford to move. What can be done in your city to make housing more affordable?
San Gabriel, like most cities, does not have the resources to conquer housing prices on our own. Housing affordability is a national problem so we need to look to state and national government and nonprofits as partners where their goals align with ours. We also need to think creatively to deal with state mandates and a scarcity of open land. Questions to consider: Are there zoning changes that make sense? are ADU's making a difference in availability or mainly supplementing the homeowner's space? are we focusing on developers building primarily for visitors? are we encouraging buyers who invest in property but not in the community? are we doing enough to maintain existing housing stock that may be passed on through inheritance to younger residents instead of being bulldozed for a mansion? Are churches or underperforming commercial properties interested in adaptive use?
What would be your top two priorities if elected/re-elected?
1. Rebuild a network for independent business by establishing a Business Roundtable with leadership from residents and business owners: provide support such as mentoring, business planning, HR, marketing. 2. Invest in an Equitable Recreation Plan so all residents have access to green space and recreational facilities
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson gave authority to state and local officials to clear public homeless encampments, after years of tension on the issue. And Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order in July that directs state agencies to clear homeless encampments from state land, urging cities and local leaders to do the same. What did you think of the decision?
I disagree with the decision because the penalty of fines criminalizes people and sucks them into a rabbit hole where fines accumulate and they will likely face bans or criminal trespass charges when they can't pay the fine. This only moves the problem down the road so residents and businesses have a temporary reprieve but no plan going forward to avoid a repeat. I agree with Justice Sotomayor's dissent: the court should be safeguarding the constitutional liberties of the most vulnerable. The decision does nothing to focus cities/states on addressing shelter and social services needs when encampments are closed. We cannot assume that all unhoused persons are in these circumstances for the same reason, so there is no one size fits all solution.
Do you believe your city's finances are being managed responsibly and effectively? If elected, what changes would you push for to maximize taxpayer funds?
We have rebuilt our reserves but there should be more attention to detail on every expenditure, especially those that impact social policy. For example, a budget item of $175,000 was included to fund special prosecutions for misdemeanors not prosecuted by Gascon's office. The council discussion focused on the urgency of prosecuting ""quality of life"" crimes that would surely lead to more serious crimes if the accused did not suffer consequences. No data was offered to support that theory. The emphasis was on creating fear to generate support, an all too easy path to take when politicizing public safety. In the presentation of the 24-25 budget, the city acknowledged that money had not been spent because ""it wasn't needed"" because Gascon was prosecuting these misdemeanors. But that money was not re-directed to another need, such as providing more recreational swim hours during the blazing summer. Funding pension obligations continues to be a concern, so we need to take a close look at salary increases that further impact that liability.