Candidate's Letter to Prospective Voters

By Torry Brean

An open letter to the people of Ramona offering a more in-depth look at the candidate.

I humbly ask you to re-elect me to the Ramona Community Planning Group. My interest comes from a desire to see Ramona grow into a well organized, attractive, clean, and unique community in keeping with the core elements of our rural identity. I came to be on the planning group in 2006 when, due to another member having stepped down, I was appointed to fill the open seat. Since that time I feel I have served the community well, and I would like to be able to continue the work we have started. My goal with this letter is to share with you my intentions, to offer background information about myself, and to honestly state my opinions on key issues so that you can be fully informed when you place your vote this November.

Born and raised as a fourth generation Ramona resident, I carry with me the culture and traditions of our town. I graduated from Ramona High School and am currently in the final stages of completion on my Bachelors Degree in business management at the University of Phoenix. I am serving recurrently as a director on the Ramona Jr. Fair board; an organization I have a great fondness for and have been active in throughout my life. In addition I serve as a member of the newly reformed Ramona Village Design Committee, as a member of the General Plan subcommittee, as chair of the Parks Subcommittee, and as a member of City of Ramona, NOW! I am currently a Casino Marketing Manager at Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino, where I have been employed for nearly eight years.

I understand the pain of trying to be a first time buyer in the Southern California market. I am a strong opponent to the many county and state imposed fees that stifle the economy and make home ownership more difficult for people like myself. This being said, I believe there is a distinction between affordable housing and cheap housing. I wholeheartedly support anything that makes buying and building homes more affordable and aggressively oppose anything that cheapens the important elements of our town. I feel that dense urban dwellings in the heart of Ramona is an element that cheapens our country character and a factor that in the long term will make single-family detached housing available only to the most wealthy. We do not have a job market that can accommodate all the wage earners that we are building for; sadly, this means that more people will be driving down the hill to work, or not working at all.

Anyone who commutes daily knows that our roads need improvement. The traffic congestion in our town is a serious problem; we need to put pressure on our local and state governments to fix our roads. Specifically, we need to widen HWY 67 from Ramona to Lakeside, we must complete the North and South bypasses, and we must stop closing off roads that reduce circulation. Natural disasters like wildfires have shown how woefully inadequate our traffic system is in an evacuation; improving our roads goes beyond just shorting our commute, it may be a matter of life and death.

I support a path to incorporation, or any alternative that gives Ramona residents greater control over their destiny. I do not support a large view of Ramona's purpose to only be part of San Diego's larger suburban tapestry; I see Ramona as an individual community with a very different flavor than our neighbors. Advisory committee or not, I feel the Ramona Community Planning Group must show strong leadership before our county and state governments to assert our independence and individuality. The alternative involves surrendering to the indifferent control of appointed officials who have no personal interest in the long-term condition of our town.

I understand the importance of the mannerisms and presence of our community representatives; if I am appointed to this board, you will find my communication style to be assertive, articulate, and respectful. As an independent thinker I feel I owe it to my supporters not to shy away from polite debate on issues of importance. My contribution will be centered on supporting the infrastructure of those things that make this community special:

• The beauty and serenity of our natural environment
• Accessible, affordable, and tasteful country living
• Ownership of horses and other livestock
• Ramona's boutique wineries and AVA designation
• Just right lot sizes (not too big, not too small)
• An environment friendly to local businesses
• Small second residences that can keep the grandparents close
• Property rights and freedom from oppressive and intrusive bureaucracies
• A safe and clean community ideal for raising a family

Thank you for your time and consideration. I would be delighted to have your support in this election.

Torry Brean