![\"Zosa](\"https:\/\/missiontimescourier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Decision-2020-copy.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cThat\u2019s really where I discovered my passion for serving the public,\u201d he said, adding that he still does some community service through USD \u2014 most recently helping spearhead a program that will allow students to use their campus cards at local businesses and the Linda Vista Farmers Market.<\/p>\n
When it comes to solving city problems such as homelessness, Zosa said he will look to the private sector to partner with the city in a similar fashion.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m all about out-of-the-box solutions. Government can\u2019t solve all the problems and sometimes it hurts,\u201d he said, adding he would push to develop some types of public\/private partnerships like the kind Peter Seidler and others from the business community created when they helped start programs like the Bridge Shelters. \u201cWe need to step up with the business community to fund these because we\u2019re all invested in this problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Zosa also sees public\/private partnerships as a solution to San Diego\u2019s uncompetitive salaries and looming pension costs and suggested one way to increase revenue without raising taxes is to allow more businesses to operate in Balboa Park.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s figure out ways to increase revenues to the city where we can afford to pay the pensions of our hard-working city employees, firefighters and police officers and keep that talent in the city,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Public\/private partnerships are not just good for funding solutions to major issues like homelessness or the pension crisis, they are also what Zosa would propose for neighborhood issues, too. One idea he has for this would be to give businesses access to an \u201cAdopt-a-Neighborhood\u201d program similar to the Adopt-a-Highway program for state freeways. Ideas like this were born of Zosa\u2019s experience on the Linda Vista Planning Group.<\/p>\n \u201cAs chairman of Linda Vista Planning Group, whenever a business or development comes into my community, I say, \u2018How are you going to be partners in this community?\u2019 If you really want development and businesses to thrive and the local residents to support you, please invest in our community,\u201d he said, adding that although it was not quid pro quo, he felt compelled to ask Linda Vista\u2019s marijuana businesses what their benefit to the community is and encouraged investment in places like the local library and the Boys & Girls Club.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a disconnect between developers and communities, and that\u2019s why you have a lot of NIMBYs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In addition to viewing the disconnect between developers and communities as the cause of resistance to development in the city, Zosa also sees the disconnect between what voters expect from government and what government delivers as the cause of distrust in solutions to issues like the convention center and the climate action plan.<\/p>\n Zosa said that voter rejection of Measure C to raise hotel taxes for the convention center and social programs failed because \u201cunfortunately, the voters of San Diego do not trust government to spend their dollars when they say, \u2018This money is going to homeless.\u2019 That was the argument against Measure C, that you can\u2019t trust the money to go where it\u2019s supposed to.\u201d<\/p>\n He pointed to the money from the Transnet tax being diverted from road repair to the trolley system as an example of why voters mistrust government.<\/p>\n In the absence of support for a public initiative to fund the convention center expansion, Zosa again sees the business community as the likely solution. \u201cWe might need to privatize part of the convention center to get it done,\u201d he said. \u201cThe city will lose if it is not expanded.\u201d<\/p>\n Another area Zosa sees local government building mistrust is the regional climate action plan.<\/p>\n Although he believes climate change is happening and is man-made, Zosa said the city plan to move to renewables will increase cost on low-income families, at least in short term. But it is the issue of cars versus bikes that has him most fired up.<\/p>\n \u201cI see a misappropriation of funds going to bike lanes that cost $5.6 million per mile, which is very expensive and has very, very low ridership,\u201d he said, adding that the $279 million appropriated for bike lanes in the city would be better spent fixing roads, or adding more solar panels on city buildings.<\/p>\n Zosa said he decided to jump into the race for City Council to bring a voice to the city that may go missing come November.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need someone who has been in the private sector,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s not too many people who are locally elected, especially on City Council, that have experience in the private sector and there\u2019s going to be even less with Scott Sherman, Barbara Bry, Mark Kersey all going away. You look the current City Council candidates, they don\u2019t have that business experience, which is critical. We need a balance of voices for good governance.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to a lack of business candidates, the City Council race after the primary will all but assure a Democratic majority. Zosa said he doesn\u2019t want to see one party rule over the city, Democrats with super majority, and \u201clabor union bosses making all the decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf we have just a Democratic mayor and a Democratic super majority City Council, you might as well just put everything on consent, because there\u2019s not going to be any debate,\u201d he added. \u201cThat\u2019s not going to be good for the city of San Diego.\u201d<\/p>\n If the March primary results are any guide, Zosa is looking at a tough uphill battle. His challenger in the November runoff, Deputy City Attorney Raul Campillo, received 36.4% of the vote to Zosa\u2019s 30.6%. A roughly 6-point margin doesn\u2019t seem all that surmountable until you look at the results for the other two candidates in the primary \u2014 both Democrats. Wendy Wheatcroft received 19.4% of the vote and Monty McIntyre garnered 13.5%. Added up, it gives the Democrats a 40.9-point advantage going into November.<\/p>\n Zosa maintains he is still in the race for a few reasons \u2014 voters outside of Linda Vista still don\u2019t know him, the March primary had very low turnout in District 7 and because of the presidential primary between main candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, the turnout was heavily Democratic.<\/p>\n \u201cFor people who lean to the right side, there wasn\u2019t much reason to turn out in this election and that\u2019s something that\u2019s going to turn around in November,\u201d Zosa said, adding that his main strategy to win is to mobilize fellow conservatives to the polls and to get his message and his resume of experience out to voters.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m ready from day one to jump into city government,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\nA public\/private philosophy<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nA tough race<\/strong><\/p>\n