Alcalde — Ciudad de San Diego

Almost a half a century of business and government experience has prepared me to be Mayor of San Diego. Back in 1983 I resigned from my job with the San Diego Housing Commission as Financial Specialist to run for Mayor of San Diego. Unfortunately for the City of San Diego, while I finished in the top 20%, I did not get elected.

During my time in the private sector when I did budgeting I have been subject to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and United States Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations. If I had prepared budget projections for a 3 billion dollar budget and neglected to mention a potential liability of two hundred million dollars I would be subject to fines and jail time.
When I read the material misrepresentation in Mayor Faulconer’s, “financial outlook” which showed projected deficits of $83.7 million in the budget year that begins next July, $66.6 million in the following budget year and $33.6 million during the budget year after that, I realized that the City of San Diego has no budget oversight such as the IRS or SEC and can make up any numbers they want.

These budget projections, among other things, do not take into account the liability of the approximately 4,000 employees hired after 2012 under the Prop B Pension Reform Charter Amendment. City labor unions in San Diego have filed a successful lawsuit which invalidate 2012’s Proposition B pension cut measure. The pension reform measure passed by voters in 2012 has been ruled illegal by the state supreme court, but the court did not invalidate Prop B because that was not before the court. In March of this year, the California Fourth District Court of Appeal ordered the City of San Diego to compensate employees who had been affected by Proposition B. Given the legal track record of the City in this fiasco it is reasonable to assume the Courts will mandate compensation be paid to these employees. Simple math tells us if the court mandates a low amount such as $5,000 in compensation per employee for 4,000 employees over 10 years we are looking at a liability of 200 million dollars.

Quoting from the Mayor’s projections, “The current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City’s six Recognized Employees Organizations (REO) are set to expire at the end of FY 2020. This Outlook does not project for any impact of future changes to MOUs with REOs; therefore, salaries and wages forecasts are reflective of current MOU provisions.” In simple language the Mayor and City Council are hiding an additional liability which I have conservatively estimated to be two hundred million dollars.

When I ran for Mayor in 1983, I wrote,” This year the City of San Diego is experiencing a revenue short fall of between 8 and 12 million dollars…. I propose to balance the budget by asking those in City Government who can best afford a pay cut to take it. Last year the Mayor’s salary was increased by 20%. I propose to cut the Mayors salary by 10%. The new salary of the Mayor would be $33,000 a year. Using the Mayors salary as a guide, I propose to cut all salaries in excess of $33,000 dollars by 10%. There would be a savings of between 8 and 12 million dollars. All City employees earning $33,000 a year or less would be unaffected. I propose a hiring freeze on any job that requires a salary greater than $33,000. I project that this plan can make up the projected revenue short fall without laying off any employees or a reduction in City services.”

Since 1983, the City of San Diego has balanced its books by selling city owned land and raising taxes. We have gone from a liability back than of between 8 and 12 million to today’s liability of 85 million to 300 million dollars.

 

 

The solution, as it was 35 years ago, is to reduce the salaries of the management team responsible for the spiraling budget overruns. Next year the Mayor and City Council have budgeted themselves a 100% pay increase. We are rewarding the Mayor and City Council for a continuation of almost a half century of operating losses.

 

I testified before the Budget Committee chaired by Councilwoman and Mayoral Candidate Barbra Bry. I argued against increasing taxes. I was allowed two minutes to propose a solution. The solution is the same one I proposed back in 1983. Use the Mayors annual salary of $100,000 as the dividing line between management and labor. Reduce the salary of every city employee who makes more than the Mayor by 10%. In addition institute a hiring freeze on everyone who makes more than $100,000 a year.

 

No employee of this City making less than $100,000 will be affected by this proposal.

It is time that those who are responsible for the poor management of this City suffer the consequences of their actions. Not surprisingly, Councilwoman Bry decided the better way to solve the problem was to raise taxes and sell Qualcomm Stadium.

 

The Prop B problem can be solved by proposing to the courts that the City of San Diego will compensate the 4,000 new employees by putting them and all future City employees under the Federal Social Security Program.

 

The real solution to San Diego’s continuous overspending is to adopt the approach that the Port District uses to finance its operations. The Port District is not allowed to sell its’ land. All they do is negotiate leases of their land. This model will work for the City. I proposed this idea back in 1983. Had the City adopted this idea anytime after I proposed it would not have affected the income generated to balance the budget. What it would have done is created an asset base which would generate revenue forever.

 

When I ran in 1983 I was the first and only candidate running for mayor to proposed term limits. I believe elections are the marketplace of ideas. Term limits was an idea whose time had come, San Diego adopted term limits soon after I proposed it. The idea of leasing instead of selling City owned land is an idea whose time has come.

 

Rich Riel
Candidate for Mayor

 

Almost a half a century of business and government experience has prepared me to be Mayor of San Diego. Back in 1983 I resigned from my job with the San Diego Housing Commission as Financial Specialist to run for Mayor of San Diego. Unfortunately for the City of San Diego, while I finished in the top 20%, I did not get elected.

 

Because of the current Mayor, San Diego today is suffering financial ruin, traffic gridlock and a concentration of growth in overcrowded neighborhoods. We did not arrive at this nexus overnight. The uncontrolled growth of this City coupled with the financial excess of our elected Mayor is the result of a broken political system.  This system stretches back for half a century to the election of Pete Wilson in 1971.

 

Our elections are rigged by the rich, abetted by the media and executed by career politicians dependant on a political party system designed to accommodate wealthy donors. The voter is faced with a political system that is manipulated to encourage the continuation of elected officials who owe their loyalty not to San Diego but to their campaign donors. The motivation of our elected officials is not honor or duty; it is a career opportunity to retire from, with great pension benefits.

 

I ran for Mayor twice, thirty five years ago against the power brokers of San Diego. I started out as an unknown and finished in the top 20% of vote getters both times as a grassroots candidate. I won because most voters make up their mind by reading the ballot statement just before they cast their vote. Good ideas can beat bad candidates in any election. The problem we have is the media and the rich discourage good candidates from running with the so called conventional wisdom you don’t have a chance unless you have lots of money, a party affiliation and name recognition. As a result we have a system where we vote on candidates that are owned by campaign donors no matter who the voters pick.

 

This year I am challenging the power structure of San Diego. I am not affiliated with either the Republicans or the Democrats. I am not for sale to rich donors because I am not a career politician. I am a San Diegian. I love this City and will do what is best for the City. With your vote, I am going to do something that has never been done in a San Diego Mayor’s race. I am going to win without spending millions of dollars, a political party endorsement or name recognition.

 

During my time in the private sector when I did budgeting I have been subject to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and United States Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations. If I had prepared budget projections for a 3 billion dollar budget and neglected to mention a potential liability of two hundred million dollars I would be subject to fines and jail time.
When I read the material misrepresentation in Mayor Faulconer’s, “financial outlook” which showed projected deficits of $83.7 million in the budget year that begins next July, $66.6 million in the following budget year and $33.6 million during the budget year after that, I realized that the City of San Diego has no budget oversight such as the IRS or SEC and can make up any numbers they want.

 

These budget projections, among other things, do not take into account the liability of the approximately 4,000 employees hired after 2012 under the Prop B Pension Reform Charter Amendment. City labor unions in San Diego have filed a successful lawsuit which invalidate 2012’s Proposition B pension cut measure. The pension reform measure passed by voters in 2012 has been ruled illegal by the state supreme court, but the court did not invalidate Prop B because that was not before the court. In March of this year, the California Fourth District Court of Appeal ordered the City of San Diego to compensate employees who had been affected by Proposition B. Given the legal track record of the City in this fiasco it is reasonable to assume the Courts will mandate compensation be paid to these employees. Simple math tells us if the court mandates a low amount such as $5,000 in compensation per employee for 4,000 employees over 10 years we are looking at a liability of 200 million dollars.

Quoting from the Mayor’s projections, “The current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City’s six Recognized Employees Organizations (REO) are set to expire at the end of FY 2020. This Outlook does not project for any impact of future changes to MOUs with REOs; therefore, salaries and wages forecasts are reflective of current MOU provisions.” In simple language the Mayor is hiding an additional liability which I have conservatively estimated to be two hundred million dollars.

When I ran for Mayor in 1983, I wrote,” This year the City of San Diego is experiencing a revenue short fall of between 8 and 12 million dollars…. I propose to balance the budget by asking those in City Government who can best afford a pay cut to take it. Last year the Mayor’s salary was increased by 20%. I propose to cut the Mayors salary by 10%. The new salary of the Mayor would be $33,000 a year. Using the Mayors salary as a guide, I propose to cut all salaries in excess of $33,000 dollars by 10%. There would be a savings of between 8 and 12 million dollars. All City employees earning $33,000 a year or less would be unaffected. I propose a hiring freeze on any job that requires a salary greater than $33,000. I project that this plan can make up the projected revenue short fall without laying off any employees or a reduction in City services.”

 

Since 1983, the City of San Diego has balanced its books by selling city owned land and raising taxes. We have gone from a liability back than of between 8 and 12 million dollars to today’s liability of 85 million to 200 million dollars.

 

The solution, as it was 35 years ago, is to reduce the salaries of the management team responsible for the spiraling budget overruns. Next year the Mayor has budgeted a 100% pay increase for the Mayor and City Council. We are rewarding the Mayor and City Council for a continuation of almost a half century of operating losses.

 

I testified before the Budget Committee, I argued against increasing taxes. I was allowed two minutes to propose a solution. The solution is the same one I proposed back in 1983. Use the Mayors annual salary of $100,000 as the dividing line between management and labor. Reduce the salary of every city employee who makes more than the Mayor by 10%. In addition institute a hiring freeze on everyone who makes more than $100,000 a year. No employee of this City making less than $100,000 will be affected by this proposal. It is time that those who are responsible for the poor management of this City suffer the consequences of their actions.

The Prop B problem can be solved by proposing to the courts that the City of San Diego will compensate the 4,000 new employees by putting them and all future City employees under the Federal Social Security Program. I propose to put all employees in City government under social security. I will propose to the State Court of Appeal the solution to the pension deficit is to adhere to the voter approved pension plan by allowing the employees to remain in the 401 K program approved by the voters or enrolling them in the Federal Social Security Program. I will point out that this law suit is intended as an excuse for the unions to continue stealing from the taxpayers of this City.

 

It is matter of equity.  It is unfair to reward legal incompetence by allowing the beneficiaries of a ponzi scheme pension fund to continue stealing from taxpayers who wanted out of the scam. The voters were victimized by a Mayor and City Attorney who were vested in the program. The voters were informed of the con game being run by the unions and voted to end the scam. The Unions suing the City argued that the will of the people should be overturned by a technicality created by the Mayor and City Attorney so that the unions can continue their ponzi scheme.  

 

The real solution to San Diego’s to income shortfall is not increasing taxes, but to adopt the approach that the Port District uses to finance its operations. The Port District is not allowed to sell its’ land. All they do is negotiate leases of their land. This model will work for San Diego. I proposed this idea back in 1983. Had the City adopted this idea anytime after I proposed it would not have affected the income generated to balance the budget. What it would have done is created an asset base which would generate revenue forever.

 

When I ran in 1983 I was the first and only candidate running for mayor to proposed term limits. I believe elections are the marketplace of ideas. Term limits was an idea whose time had come, San Diego adopted term limits soon after I proposed it. The idea of leasing instead of selling City owned land is an idea whose time has come. I will change the City Charter to prohibit the sale of City owned land. As Mayor of this City I will get our City out of the ponzi scheme pension fund and replace it with Social Security. If you are a San Diegian and recognize that we can change the direction of our City from the mistakes of the past, vote for Rich Riel.

Today, the most successful and financially sound government entity in San Diego County is the San Diego Unified Port District. It is totally self sufficient without charging taxes. The reason for the success of the Port District is that it is prohibited by its charter from selling Port District land.

 

The San Diego Unified Port District was created in 1962 to manage in trust the tide and submerged lands within San Diego Bay. By statue the Port is only allowed to lease the land. The Port District manages 2,404 acres of land which generate over $200 million dollars in annual revenue.

 

This year the Port District budget surplus will be $40 million dollars with no unfunded liabilities.  Unlike the City of San Diego, the Port District Pension Fund is fully funded with no contingent liability.

 

In contrast to the Port District the City of  San Diego relies on four major General Fund revenue sources which are composed of property taxes, sales taxes, transient occupancy taxes (TOT), and franchise fees. These four categories account for 70% of the revenues generated for City of San Diego. Unlike the Port District, less than 4% of the budget is generated from leases and sales of City owned property.

 

Since 1968 the City of San Diego has sold over sixty thousand acres of City owned land. There are a number of benefits to a charter change that would required the City to maintain ownership of all City owned land.  Had we leased that land to the developers, the City today, like the Port District, would have the revenue stream of our leased land. In addition we could control the price of housing by controlling land costs..

 

The wealth of San Diego is not in the physical structures that we build on our land, it is in the underlying land and how we zone the land. For the last half century, City government has been making developers wealthy by changing zoning and density for projects owned by politically connected developers. 

 

The developers assemble a project buying cheap vacant or low density land. They buy the property that is priced by the density allowed under the existing zoning. The developers design a project with increased density making the land more valuable because of the anticipated zoning change. They want an exception to zoning, arguing it creates jobs. They say it will transform a blighted property into a newly built project. The developers tell us by adding more housing it will bring down the cost of housing and create more housing opportunities.

 

They find a Mayor who wants political contributions and will support the project. They donate a lot of money to the Mayor so he can get elected. The money is spent on advertising with the major media for political ads to get the Mayor elected.  The media, fat on advertising revenues, is a big proponent of the project. The Mayor is elected he approves the zoning change and the developers make millions.

 

The only losers are the Citizens of San Diego. We sell our land for nothing, the developers make millions and increase our population with no corresponding infra structure. Our highways became gridlocked.  Housing prices continue to increase as available buildable land decreases. We can no longer enjoy our parks and beaches.

 

As buildable land disappears the price of housing continues to increase. Perhaps the biggest lie told by the developers is that with every project approved the developer tells the politicians the more housing built the more it will bring down the price of housing. It is a lie that continues to be told and believed by the current Mayor and other elected officials. Today we have a housing crisis and the politicians continue to tell us that increased density for politically connected developers will solve the problem.

 

The solution to bringing down hosing costs is to require all developers who are seeking a zoning change to sell the underlying land to the City. Together with a charter change that only allows leasing of the land, the City of San Diego can regain control of spiraling housing costs.

 

Horton Plaza is an example of a politically connected developer changing zoning and density with the support of the current Mayor at the expense of the citizens of San Diego. The current plan proposed by the owners of Horton Plaza is a nightmare of no parking, no housing and no retail space where there should still be a vibrant shopping center.

 

When I am elected I will use Horton Plaza to demonstrate how City ownership of the land and the use of zoning will bring affordable housing to San Diego. I will not allow the current plan to continue. I will require Stockdale to sell the land back to the City. I will work with Stockdale to leave Horton Plaza as a retail shopping center with the parking garages remaining.

 

In return for the land The City will rezone the property to allow for a high rise residential project that will have long term leases for low, moderate and median income San Diegians to live down town in affordable home owner housing. The developer will be allowed to build and sell the units with construction and take out financing provided by the City of San Diego.

 

As your Mayor, working with, The Housing Commission, the Planning Department and the owners I will build a team that will build low, moderate and median income housing which will actually bring down the overall cost of housing in San Diego.

 

This charter change coupled with a Mayor who will trade zoning and density changes for developers that sell their land to the City, will correct the years of poor planning that has resulted in the current problems.

 

Over 9,000 single room occupancy (SRO) units — many of them downtown — were lost.

When you lose 9,000 SRO units and allow — by failing to enforce existing city zoning requirements — up to 16,000 single-family homes plus hundreds of apartments and condominiums to be turned into short-term vacation rentals, you reduce housing supply and increase housing costs.

We have about 5,500 unsheltered individuals in the city of San Diego. You do the math.

We need to stop the political grandstanding, offering promises of overnight solutions, and admit this is a difficult and complex problem. Press conferences and slogans will not solve it. I have argued we need a data-driven, comprehensive and collaborative approach that addresses the real causes of homelessness.

One recent study from the Los Angeles Times showed that 46% of those living on the streets had substance abuse problems and 51% had mental health issues. Another study out of UCLA reported substance abuse and mental health concerns at 75% and 78%, respectively. The new plan commissioned by the San Diego Housing Commission, while not perfect, finally suggests options to previous politician's unsuccessful approach. The Housing Commission plan recognizes both the legal and moral imperative that we provide safe alternative shelter. But it also recognizes that success is dependent upon dedicated teams of mental health professionals, drug rehabilitation specialists, vocational trainers, and broadly educated law enforcement officers to deal with the issues at the root of homelessness.

Over a decade, the view of homelessness as principally a housing problem has dug a deep and dangerous hole that has swallowed the homeless in a cycle of hopelessness and threatens the health and safety of our entire community. When you are in a hole, it’s usually smart to stop digging.

We still have a difficult climb ahead of us. A good first step is to accept the failure of past policies and to make mental illness, drug addiction and public safety our priorities moving forward.

As mayor, here is how I will approach this issue:

• I will enforce the existing municipal code against conversion of our housing stock into short-term vacation rentals and bring these housing units back onto the market.
• I will invest in replacing the SROs lost under previous administration's watch by building permanent supportive housing units with services.
• I will provide shelters, transitional housing and safe parking options in the interim.
• I will personally engage county officials to make sure they fulfill their responsibility to deal with individuals suffering from drug and alcohol addiction and mental health problems; the county has both the responsibility and the resources to add mental health and recuperative care beds.
• I will put trained professionals on the street — professionals who can confront the everyday problems our unsheltered population faces and connect them to the help they need.
• I will invest in programs with proven results and eliminate programs that can’t document their effectiveness.
• I will focus on children who are caught in the cycle of homelessness to make sure they are in school and get them protection from the drug culture so they can escape this vicious cycle.
• I will identify the individuals who are the most expensive to the system in terms of emergency room and other services and focus on getting them the help they need, which is cheaper in the long term.
• I will enforce our vagrancy laws after we have provided for housing alternatives and diversion programs.
• I will personally attend the meetings of the Regional Task Force on the Homeless and meet regularly with the county’s other mayors so we have a coordinated approach to homelessness and other regional issues.
• I will not waste taxpayer money setting up a new housing bureaucracy when the San Diego Housing Commission, a city agency whose budget the city controls, has already developed expertise in this area.

Promises of simplistic solutions — “just build more housing” — will not solve this difficult and complex problem. Press conferences and slogans will not solve it. We need a data-driven, comprehensive and collaborative approach that most effectively mobilizes local, state, federal and private-sector resources to address the real causes of homelessness. As your next mayor, I will implement this approach as one of my top priorities.

In order to make the “City of Opportunity” a reality we will embrace the Innovation Economic vision – the idea that knowledge, entrepreneurship, innovation, technology and collaboration fuels economic growth. By encouraging and welcoming the development of opportunities in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) fields, the City of San Diego will become home to the highest paying jobs and good service sector jobs around it.

Moreover, a dedication to fiscally responsible, long-term growth plans that center on the Innovation Economy will favorably impact generations to come. It will drive our entire economy and be the key to San Diego’s future growth. Full STEAM Ahead!

AS YOUR MAYOR:

• I will make it an economic imperative to develop our home-grown talent.
• I will work with our local/regional educational institutions to ensure that our students are being trained and educated with STEAM-focused curriculums.
• I will work to expand the Connect2Careers paid internship program with a focus on jobs in which employers have needs and a focus on community college students in those areas.
• I will ensure the enforcement of statutes affecting minimum wage, prevailing wage and wage theft.
• I will support project labor agreements in which public money is used to lend support for increasing diversity in apprenticeship programs.
• I will lead a process to re-develop the City Hall site to serve as a catalyst for a downtown tech and arts hub with the goal of employing more residents south of I-8. The development of a tech and arts hub downtown is both an economic and cultural imperative so that jobs are closer to the people, and people are closer to the jobs.
• I will work to ensure that companies that receive contracts (the City of San Diego has $1 billion in contract spending) from the city increase their levels of employer engagement in the development of their workforce’s STEAM capabilities.
• I will seek out and encourage established STEAM companies to relocate or open offices in San Diego.
• I will work to eliminate unnecessary roadblocks and complications that prevent businesses from being able to start up, prosper and spur job growth across the STEAM spectrum.
• I will work to develop cross-border economic opportunities – taking full advantage of the unique financial opportunities that are available to border cities.
• I will work to identify a dedicated revenue stream to fund arts and culture.
• I will work to ensure that San Diego is a model of equity, and that no matter where you live in San Diego you have quality municipal services and access to opportunity.

As current President Pro Tem of the San Diego City Council, Chair of the Budget and Government Efficiency Committee and Vice Chair of the Rules Committee and the Committee on Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods I will continue my efforts to ensure that the City of San Diego creates long range economic plans that will incorporate STEAM and the Innovation economy into its overall vision, ensuring that ALL of San Diego benefits. I

DON’T JUST TALK ABOUT THESE ISSUES, I DELIVER:

• I was central to the development of the Workplace Equity Initiative addressing a myriad of issues including ensuring pay equity.

We all deserve to live in a city where one job is enough, where we can live in a home we can afford and can get to via efficient public transit, all while being surrounded by our city’s great natural beauty. As your Mayor, I will ensure that our economic policies result in this vision becoming a reality for all. Full STEAM Ahead!

There are numerous tools for addressing our shortage of affordable housing – inclusionary zoning, tax credits, streamlined permitting, increased densities, reduced parking requirements, etc. – but there’s no single silver bullet that solves the problem, and no one-size-fits-all solution that works in every neighborhood.

We’ve already made it easier to build granny flats.  And while I disagree with the Mayor about lifting height limits citywide, I do support higher densities along established transit corridors and streamlining the review process when projects conform to adopted Community Plans.

That’s why I support accelerated completion of Community Plan updates, project-area EIRs that allow individual developments consistent with community plans to receive expedited processing and a citywide commitment to encouraging higher densities next to transportation centers.

The most important role the City can play is providing upgraded transportation and other municipal infrastructure to enhance the quality of life in every neighborhood.

"This is not about simplistic labels like NIMBY or YIMBY. I’m a strong supporter of the City’s Climate Action Plan and favor increased density along transportation corridors, but I believe these decisions should be made locally, by local elected officials, not by Sacramento politicians.” -Barbara Bry

Short-Term Vacation Rentals As Mayor, I will enforce our existing municipal code, which prohibits short term rentals in all residential zones.

We can't continue to let a multi-billion dollar industry take advantage of our City.  Currently, up to 16,000 single-family homes are being used as short-term vacation rentals as well as a growing number of apartments and condominiums.  

We are losing precious housing stock at a time that we have a housing shortage.

Economic studies show that the costs of short-term rentals to our City outweigh the benefits, increasing housing costs, reducing City tax revenues from tourism, circumventing zoning laws, and creating more income inequality, not less. Auditors also revealed that THE CITY SPENT $2 MILLION to pick up trash at 16,000 properties being used FOR ILLEGAL short-term rental businesses.

In 2018, I tried to negotiate a compromise with Airbnb when I led an effort to have the City Council pass legislation.  This compromise was not acceptable to Airbnb which spent over $1 million to “referendize” our legislation so the Council was forced to rescind it.  Since then, the numbers have increased, and now apartments are also being turned into visitor accommodations.

It is time to enforce our existing municipal code which prohibits short-term vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods.

 

I recognize the damage 16,000 unregulated short-term rentals have done to our housing stock, rental prices, neighborhoods, and taxpayers. That’s why I’ve led the effort to demand enforcement of reasonable regulations that protect our neighborhoods from this multi-billion dollar industry.

That is one reason I am running for Mayor.   LAND USE, HOUSING & DEVELOPMENT POLICY Business as usual has brought San Diego a housing shortage, poor land use results, significant delays in permit processing, and controversy over virtually every significant developmentrelated decision.   Limited land remains available for development, and we must ensure that any new development is carried out in ways that are sensitive and beneficial to the needs of communities both in the short and long term. At the same time, we are building too little housing, and most of the new housing is too expensive for typical working households. A fresh and comprehensive look at the way we make land use, housing and development decisions in San Diego is required to achieve our objectives for a sustainable future, the reinvigoration of the housing market, and reducing conflict that wastes both time and money. This will be the value of having a proactive leader, one who gets ahead of problems instead of just reacting, in the Mayor’s office!   AS YOUR MAYOR:

• I WILL CLEARLY IDENTIFY OUR NEEDS: Our communities thrive best when they are effectively connected as parts of a whole – through comprehensive transportation systems, a collaborative political process, and effective sharing of resources. This can only be achieved by clearly identifying our needs at the community level as well as citywide, based on a clear vision of the city we want. By looking to the future and planning accordingly we can assure that progress benefits the entirety of the City of San Diego.
• I WILL ENSURE A MORE COLLABORATIVE PLANNING PROCESS:
• Increasing allocations for staffing and financial resources that will keep community plans current, so that they can be used as the primary points of reference for good land use decisions. Preparing and approving a master environmental impact report which addresses the impacts of anticipated build-out within each plan area, simplifying any subsequent projectspecific analyses. Setting both maximum and minimum densities, to ensure a gradual transition to land uses which are required to accommodate the city’s growing population needs. Land use applications which are consistent with the plan should therefore not require further discretionary approval which is important in providing certainty to both communities and to developers. Establishing a uniform set of operating rules for planning groups and providing them with the training and professional staffing needed to make informed recommendations.

With these reforms, the planning groups can more effectively help decision makers establish priorities for improved services and infrastructure. Redesigning the processing required for individual project applications and plans to be more efficient which will allow for swifter review and approval of plans requiring building permits or other administrative permits. Our goal will be to ensure that no applications will be delayed by such factors as changes in city staffing, staff vacation schedules, or new demands for revisions. Ensuring coordination between Planning and Development Services to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Monitoring our numerous plans (infrastructure, budget, greenhouse gas reduction) to make sure they are not in conflict with one another and are consistent with the General Plan.

• I WILL ENSURE THE RIGHT KIND OF HOUSING IN THE RIGHT PLACES:
• Implementing community pilot programs for areas which are close to job centers and can readily accommodate more housing, in order to test the effectiveness of changes in land use on a smaller scale before rolling them out citywide. Preventing blanket waivers of height and parking requirements that ignore the particular needs of each community.
• Determining incentives that will result in greater affordable housing construction. Producing units affordable to middle-income households will take pressure off lower-income households, who currently are being outbid for previously affordable units. Requiring greater affordability in return for making housing incentives available. Facilitating building of accessory dwelling units (or granny flats) by expediting processing, reducing fees, and offering pre-approved, standard architectural plans.
• Investigating creation and expansion of assistance programs to reduce down payment requirements and interest rates for borrowers who have good credit and wish to transition from renter to owner status, in order to help to provide better housing opportunities and stabilize neighborhoods. Ensuring that communities receive tangible benefits in return for community plan amendments, in between comprehensive updates, that increase building intensity.
• Ensuring that a housing development strategy will be carried out in tandem with expansion and improvement of the transit system by requiring the city to collaborate closely with SANDAG and MTS in planning and financing transit system improvements. Ensuring that new, higher-density housing is located close to job centers and to public transit corridors, as well as within mixed-use developments.
• Prohibiting further destruction or conversion of SROs (single room occupancies) unless new development plans include equally affordable replacement units.
• Limiting short-term vacation rentals to primary residences only, to keep investors from turning homes into mini-hotels. They remove large numbers of units from the market, drive up housing costs, undercut the hospitality industry, and, worst of all, disrupt stable residential neighborhoods.
• Establishing a financing plan to which all who benefit contribute in a fair and immediate way to upgrading and maintenance of existing infrastructure – streets, sidewalks, bridges, parks, water lines, sewer pipes, storm drains – and to construction of new needed infrastructure beyond what developers are required to provide. P

As current President Pro Tem of the San Diego City Council, Chair of the Budget and Government Efficiency Committee and Vice Chair of the Rules Committee and the Committee on Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods I will continue my efforts to ensure that the City of San Diego stops lurching from one bad decision to the next and instead looks to incorporate long range planning into its deliberations so that when rules and regulations are implemented they will result in benefits for ALL of San Diego.   I DON’T JUST TALK ABOUT THESE ISSUES, I DELIVER:

• First elected official to oppose the SoccerCity land grab.
• Stood up against Airbnb disruption of our neighborhoods.
• Questioned the $72 million purchase of 101 Ash Street without a long-term real estate strategy.
• Helped create a partnership between Habitat for Humanity and the San Diego Jewish Community Foundation to fund a program that will allow Habitat to scale its efforts to sell homes at affordable prices to more first-time home buyers.
• Supported an ordinance to reduce the fees and to make it easier to build an accessory dwelling unit.
• Supported community plan updates for Midway and Old Town to allow for more housing units.

We cannot claim to be America’s Finest City when thousands of people live unsheltered and dying on our streets. As Mayor, I will focus the City’s energy and resources on results-oriented programs proven to get homeless people off the streets, connected to services and back on their feet. Our strategy will be focused on permanent supportive housing instead of temporary shelters. Our goal should be to end chronic homelessness. Other cities have done it and San Diego should too. No more band-aids. No more temporary tents without a plan. No more criminalizing the existence of San Diego’s poorest and sickest residents. It’s time we work to actually end chronic homelessness. This problem is solvable with strong leadership, data-driven decision-making and accountability for all stakeholders. 

This is Our Top Priority

A problem as large and complex as homelessness can only be solved if it is understood to be the City’s top priority. Cities that are making progress toward ending homelessness have mayors that are directly and personally involved in the matter. That’s why I will move homeless services into the Mayor’s office in my first 100 days. This action is meant to send an unambiguous message to the entire city that this issue is the focus of my administration. I will personally ensure we make progress on this issue and hold those carrying out the work of housing the homeless accountable every single day.

Data Must Drive Decision Making

San Diego is spending more money than ever reacting to the homelessness crisis, but we are not seeing the results we deserve. As Mayor, I will implement radical transparency to ensure that limited taxpayer resources are being spent efficiently and effectively on programs that are getting people off the streets and keeping them housing for the long term. Those who are not delivering the results we expect will be defunded and we will redirect those funds to programs that are working. Service providers will be mandated to provide the public with data showing the outcomes of taxpayer funded programs. This information should be available online through a public data portal with monthly updates on all of the City’s housing and homelessness programs so that taxpayers can see the impact of their investments.

Housing Solves Homelessness

If we want to join the communities across the nation that are making real progress toward solving this problem, we must implement an aggressive housing first strategy that combines housing with wrap-around services. Emergency shelters should be for triage only. We must demand better outcomes form the City’s shelter system and move clients through the system and into permanent housing opportunities as quickly as possible. Housing first solutions have proven to save the public money and get real results. This approach eliminates requirements that become barriers to housing and provides the services that homeless people need in addition to housing. It’s common sense that the fastest way to end the condition of homelessness is to give someone a home. When supportive services are added to ensure the individuals remain stable and do not return to the streets. The City should also make investments in solutions like rapid-rehousing for those who need relatively modest assistance to get back on their feet. Often a security deposit, first/last months rental payment or credit check fee can be all that holds a person or family back from becoming housing secure. Smart prevention and diversion solutions like this can save many from homelessness. I will make the tough decisions needed to retool our programs and invest only in evidence-based solutions that support the housing first model.

Regional Collaboration is Key

Homeless individuals can be found in every community in the county. In order to end chronic homelessness, we must have full collaboration and coordination between elected leaders, those experiencing homelessness, housing providers, service providers and others on the front lines helping our most vulnerable residents. Data Must Drive Decision Making San Diego is spending more money than ever reacting to the homelessness crisis, but we are not seeing the results we deserve. As Mayor, I will implement radical transparency to ensure that limited taxpayer resources are being spent efficiently and effectively on programs that are getting people off the streets and keeping them housing for the long term. Those who are not delivering the results we expect will be defunded and we will redirect those funds to programs that are working. Service providers will be mandated to provide the public with data showing the outcomes of taxpayer funded programs. This information should be available online through a public data portal with monthly updates on all of the City’s housing and homelessness programs so that taxpayers can see the impact of their investments. Housing Solves Homelessness If we want to join the communities across the nation that are making real progress toward solving this problem, we must implement an aggressive housing first strategy that combines P A G E 2 As the Councilmember for District Three, I led the effort to merge San Diego’s leading homelessness organizations, forming one unified entity in the region tasked with strategic planning and coordination of resources to strengthen our collective impact and end chronic homelessness. As Mayor, I will build upon this structure by convening regular intergovernmental round tables with public officials representing the other 17 incorporated cities, county, state and federal governments so that we can scale solutions to match the size of our region’s problem. Leaders must be at the table to see what is working and what is not. By fostering stronger cross-jurisdictional collaboration, I will ensure that City resources are aligned with investments from county, state and federal budgets. Decisions should be based off of one regional action plan to build a system that gets people off the streets and into housing as quickly as possible.

Put Mental Health Funds To Work

We must address the mental health crisis head-on and implement real solutions for those who cannot care for themselves. There are no quick fixes for behavioral health conditions like substance abuse, but there is funding available to address them. Counties across California are sitting on billions in unspent Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funding. The County of San Diego has tens of millions in available dollars at a time when 43% of our homeless neighbors are challenged with mental health issues. As Mayor, I will work with County officials to match MHSA funds to City housing dollars to incentivize the creation of housing first opportunities for the homeless. Housing providers and health and behavioral health care providers can coordinate to connect patients to resources and care as quickly as possible. We are failing our community’s mentally ill by leaving the hardest to house on the streets. This is not just a civic disgrace but it is inhumane and far more expensive when those who are hardest to serve cycle through the emergency response, hospital and criminal justice systems.

Let's End Chronic Homelessness

San Diego can join other cities across the nation that are ending chronic homelessness by implementing best-inclass strategies rather than the temporary solutions that have been used locally. The fix for this crisis is more affordable housing and supportive services. The time to tackle this problem is now. The time for bold and progressive leadership is now. I will be a Mayor that believes it is our moral imperative to lift up the very weakest among us and considers housing a basic human right. I will dedicate every day of my time in office to ensuring that we all can have a place to call home.