No matter what part of District 9 you live in, we all suffer from the realities of potholes and broken sidewalks. We must ensure that we are not only tackling our backlog of much-needed improvements but ensuring that they are being done right the first time. We must address community concerns and go after bad contractors that keep failing to meet standards.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nI will also advocate for our Police and Fire Department to be properly paid for their service and sacrifices to our community. There is a broken system and strong leadership is needed to fix it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
For more information about Kelvin Barrios, visit his campaign website at kelvinbarrios.com.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sam Bedwell<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nSam Bedwell grew up in a military family traveling the world, starting in Africa then Maryland, Belgium, Italy and Germany. He speaks fluent Italian and Spanish.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n“I have seen much of the world, and very little compares to San Diego, and the communities of District 9,” he said, adding for the last 10 years he\u2019s lived in Kensington, Rolando and College Area while attending SDSU to earn a degree in biology. He also holds a law degree from<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>California Western School of Law.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n“Working and volunteering throughout the district has given me the opportunity to meet and help so many diverse groups, businesses and individuals,” he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nBedwell is endorsed by Assembly member Dr. Shirley Weber and the San Diego Union Tribune. Here are his views on the issues:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Housing
<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nHome ownership is the backbone of our community and economy. However, it is increasingly out of reach for many San Diegans who have worked and sacrificed in order to buy a home and have a stake in their communities only to see their children locked out of home ownership in the city they helped build.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWe can no longer afford a city that leaves no place for working-class families. Unaffordable housing makes San Diego increasingly uncompetitive in attracting and retaining both small and large employers and their employees including military service members, police, fire fighters, teachers, service workers and students.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n?While housing and homelessness has been deemed an emergency by past city councils, no meaningful movement has been made to tackle this growing emergency. San Diegans cannot afford the status quo. As your council member, housing will be a top priority for me. Our veterans, families with children and students should not have to wait any longer for meaningful solutions, and I will not pass this issue off for another year or another council. This moral and economic crisis can be solved sooner with bold ideas and thoughtful leadership.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/span>Homelessness<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Firstly, I support the Housing Federation\u2019s ballot initiative to build truly affordable housing. I also believe the city can do better\u00a0by leveraging assets they already have and working closer with the county and state and federal government. We can also immediately do the following:
<\/span><\/span>Establish a regional comprehensive land-use program<\/span><\/span>:\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Identify, catalog and value all public lands and structures within the San Diego region in order to support affordable workforce housing and new business start-ups. This\u00a0<\/span><\/span>commission<\/span><\/span>\u00a0will be modeled after the Federal BRAC (Base Realignment Commission) and provide incentives toward home ownership.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nImplement targeted supportive housing program for veterans:\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Given established\/earmarked targeted funding sources, we will provide all homeless veterans, homeless single parents with children and full-time enrolled homeless students and seniors on fixed income with permanent supportive housing.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nSupport College Area Planning Group’s community plan update?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yes, absolutely. I think community planning groups should always be the first line of planning\u00a0and first line of defense when it comes to changing or keeping a community’s nature and character.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/span>Other issues on your platform<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
I am also working and supporting a number of initiatives that our campaign will be unveiling very shortly. I am very interested in perfecting these initial policy initiatives with input from many stakeholder organizations including\u00a0planning and community groups from all over District 9. I\u00a0am interested in improving: public safety, public transportation, infrastructure and making sure the SDSU Mission Valley project is done well and with input from the community.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sean Elo<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0Sean Elo says he has been personally impacted by key issues facing the District 9 community, including housing and homelessness<\/span><\/p>\n“I’ve experienced homelessness when I spent a month living out of my car as a law student and have seen my parents displaced when their rent doubled over the course of a year,”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIn addition to his law degree from California Western School of law, Elo has experience as a teacher and high school coach. He has also served as associate director of the Mid-City Community Advocacy Network. Currently he is executive director of Youth Will, an organization that works with young people to create policy changes they believe important to their future and is a governing board member of the San Diego Community College District.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nElo\u2019s positions on the issues are as follows:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Housing<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nMy preferred approach to the housing crisis is to protect and produce housing we can afford and keep communities intact, keep households in their communities through a series of protections, including: enforcing the tenant protections embodied in AB 1482; educating both landlords and tenants about the state and local renter protections; providing resources to ensure that all tenants have representation available to them in any tenancy-related court action; creating a flexible spending pool for emergency rent subsidies; control rent increases through methods proven effective in other cities; rental payment reporting so renters earn and build credit without accruing debt; and preservation of existing affordable housing.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/span>Also, increasing the general supply of housing, but leaving no one out by: incentivizing inclusionary housing; upzoning along transit corridors; land banking; encouraging community land trusts; supporting the development of quality community housing; encouraging good jobs that ensure those who build affordable housing do not need affordable housing.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Homelessness<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nPrevent homelessness by implementing renter\u2019s protections mentioned below and increase funding for emergency rental assistance to prevent homelessness.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nStrategic action:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u2022\u00a0Replicate successful Housing First models, such as those utilized in Houston, that prioritize permanent supportive housing.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u2022\u00a0Coordinate with the Regional Task Force on the Homeless to leverage regional efforts without unnecessary and inefficient duplication.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Support the College Area Planning Group’s community plan update?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nYes. I think the College Area Planning Group is excellent.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nI believe planning groups are a very important element of local government. In my previous job at Mid-City CAN, I led efforts to encourage participation in planning group elections.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Other issues on your platform<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nOur campaign has a unique platform plank with respect to educational and economic opportunity. The city can and should play a much more proactive role in supporting education and providing strategic resources to help young people realize their potential by working in partnership with SDUSD, San Diego Community College District, teachers unions and community organizations to ensure students and families have access to necessary resources; increasing access to child care; and creating an Office of Child and Family Success.
We also have released an anti-corruption plan, consisting of the following key elements: public financing of elections; banning officials or their staff from lobbying the city; public disclosure of all campaign ads; and strengthening the Ethics Commission.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
For more information about Sean Elo, visit his campaign website at seanelo.com.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Andrew Gade<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/span>Andrew Gade describes himself as a “fiscally conservative small business owner with a background in<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>economics.” If he is elected to the District 9 City Council seat, he said his priorities include focusing on infrastructure, the<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>homelessness crisis, and economic growth, while integrating technology to<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>improve government efficiency.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nHere are Gade\u2019s views on the issues:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Housing<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span>My preferred approach to solving the housing crisis and lower rents is increased density in specific areas while protecting our<\/span><\/span><\/span>neighborhoods from over-development.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>