SOHO leader forms neighborhood PAC & pushes progressive vision

Por Antonio Rey | Editor SDUN

Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) executive director and businessman Bruce Coons dropped out of the mayoral race and backed candidate and current Councilmember David Alvarez in his bid for mayor. The official announcement was made at Coons’ University Heights campaign headquarters on Adams Avenue Monday, Oct. 7.

“Councilmember Alvarez’s experience fighting for protection and expansion of our parklands and conservation of our bays, rivers and ocean lead me to believe he’s the right man for the job,” Coons said in a press release from Alvarez’s campaign.

Coons, who told his supporters of his decision the previous Saturday, will continue working with Alvarez to become the “chief advocate” for citizens, elevating the economy for small and large businesses as well as tourism, and “creating a transportation system that is truly integrated for all communities,” a separate Coons press release stated.

“As our next mayor, [Alvarez will] be the one to make tough decisions, standing up to the Downtown power brokers and outside interests to ensure that the residents of San Diego can have an improved quality of life,” Coons said.

Alvarez was grateful for Coons’ support, and touted his continual work at SOHO as important to San Diego’s neighborhoods.

“Bruce’s tenure as an activist, advocate and leader in our city cannot be understated. I’m extremely proud to have his endorsement and look forward to working with him as mayor,” Alvarez said.

“Bruce has elevated the conversation in this election to the things we both care most about, the residents, the disadvantaged [and] community groups,” Alvarez said, “and encompassing all of that are the quality-of-life issues that are infrastructure [and] community character, to mass transportation.”

Also at the Oct. 7 announcement, Coons outlined a new Neighborhood Partnership PAC he was creating that will focus on these same quality-of-life issues for residents, students and property owners throughout San Diego’s neighborhoods. The political action committee would also be a way for residents to participate in future public service initiatives.

The Neighborhood Partnership PAC’s mission is to create “political means” for improving San Diegans’ quality of life by “managing growth, encouraging and sustaining neighborhood diversity [and] community character, and increasing economic viability,” his release said. Coons will remain executive director of SOHO.

“I am excited and more determined than ever before to protect, preserve and promote San Diego,” he said. “The city has been reenergized by my campaign’s ability to change the conversation and to elevate the dialogue to include the real issues facing all San Diegans today.”

Coons said the non-partisan PAC would use similar means as SOHO to “bring up the politicians of the future,” primarily through promoting participation in neighborhood community groups and planning boards. This is one of the “driving forces” for forming the PAC, he said.

“The Neighborhood Partnership will also focus on large-scale voter registration drives and make sure all viable candidates have a forum to be heard. Clearly when highly qualified candidates cannot be heard above the noise of special interests, something has gone wrong in our political process,” the Coons release said.

A Democrat, Coons’ withdrawal from the mayoral race leaves four remaining front-runner candidates for the Nov. 19 special election: democrats Alvarez, Nathan Fletcher and Michael Aguirre, as well as Republican and current Councilmember Kevin Faulconer.

Coons ended by thanking his neighborhood supporters, SOHO board and staff, and wife Alana, and said it was important to continue to push civic conversations.

“I know that’s what I will be doing, and I invite you to join me in the effort to bring a more informed candidate into the mayor’s office,” he said. “Vote for David Alvarez and help bring the progressive vision to City Hall.”