Our Issues ... My solutions

By Jose Soto

The following is my position on many issues that our city faces.

Our city looked like a war zone during this year's fourth of July. I propose to take action each year to minimize its negative affects on our city. We can start by limiting the amount of fireworks being sold to the public and which fireworks can be used. However if theses steps do not work then I will support a ban on safe and sane fireworks.

One Broadway Plaza:

I do not support the location of this proposed 37 story office building. It is too tall for the that location and will severely impact traffic. It will pose a pedestrian threat for the surrounding schools and residential areas. I will support other developments that are built for intentional use by the developer (i.e. Xerox building) and will actually create, not transplant, jobs and strengthen our economy, and at the same time compliment the surrounding area theme.

Centerline:

I do not support the centerline. This project will destroy the newly redeveloped Bristol corridor and move established businesses and long time residents. It is not a safe, efficient and cost worthy project. This project will cost the taxpayers more than what was proposed and will put us more in debt.

Public Safety:

We need to hire more police officers. Our police department is understaffed. I will work towards better management of our budget that will benefit the department to hire more police officers.

Our Infrastructure:

I will look for and pursue funding from other sources to fix our streets and sidewalks to make some of our areas more appealing and attractive and comfortable for more businesses and people to shop and do business in Santa Ana.

Our Parks:

During fiscal constraints we have to make sure that our money is used wisely for our parks. We need to first make sure that our current parks are maintained to the highest quality and we can also accomplish this by allowing companies and businesses to adopt or sponsor a park and help with its maintenance in coordination with our neighborhood associations.

Our Budget:

I will try my hardest to stop wasteful spending of our money and pursue an efficient budget that will prioritize projects and programs that are needed in our city and cut the ones that are not. We need to start being good stewards of our money and stop the many loop holes that are damaging to our city. My main goal is to cut our deficit in half while still being able to fund the essentials of our city. It is doing more with less.

Communication:

If elected I will personally seek to have roundtable sessions and meetings with community leaders and residents on a more constant basis. I have and will continue to attend neighborhood association meetings and have an open door policy to everyone. My ears will be open for you, not just special interest groups. I will open a website where we can also communicate and keep posting updates on currents issues.

Youth:

Being young myself I will include young people in our decision making and have them take leadership roles in our community. Our youth is our future and we need to start to include them now which will have them feel more of an ownership of their city and have more respect towards it. Our youth has the desire to get involved, we need to look at them and stop taking them for granted. The more they feel that they belong to the community the less tempted they would be to join a gang.

To discuss other issues important to you please contact me: <josesoto2000@msn.com>

As a life long resident of this city with real practical experience on the issues of our neighborhoods and community, I ask for you vote this November. I will bring a fundamental change to our city government. Join me to build a better and inclusive Santa Ana. A vote for Soto means a vote for change. Thank You.