One of my favorite memories of the Filner administration (yes, I have a few) was a story he told at, among other places, the 2013 All People’s Celebration. A certain prominent developer and political adversary had some permit issues, and someone from his office had called the mayor’s staff to say when they should meet to discuss delaying enforcement. Filner’s response was that the developer should call the scheduler like anyone else, and in the meantime, if anything, he would speed things up.
Filner’s glee at the opportunity to exact a little retribution may have been over the top, but the message was spot on. Wealthy and connected developers are not the ones who need help working the system. Elected officials should be making sure that the people who don’t have staff or a soap box still have their voices heard and their needs addressed.
That was the progressive direction nearly a quarter million San Diegans chose in 2012. It was the right call, and it deserves a longer trial than a year. It shouldn’t be abandoned because of one man’s faults. It shouldn’t be overturned by fewer voters in a special election.
It’s why I’m choosing Councilmember David Alvarez for mayor of San Diego.
The candidates’ resumes are thinner on average this time around, but on the whole, I’m more comfortable with the choices. Councilmember Faulconer appears to be a center right Republican in the vein of former Mayor Sanders, not a Tea Party crusader. I think he would take the city in a different direction than I’d like, but I don’t fear he will make San Diego the Wisconsin of the West.
Despite what you may have seen in Lincoln Club mailers, Assemblymember Fletcher is not simply a political weather vane. While some level of political expedience is undeniable, his changes in party and position have more to do with staying true to his moral compass. As part of an LGBT community that works hard to change hearts and minds, I prefer someone who can be moved by thoughtful discussions to a rigid idealogue.
It’s Alvarez, however, who is most likely to keep San Diego on the progressive path chosen in 2012. While three years on City Council may not be the perfect resume for a future mayor, it is neither significantly less deep that Fletcher’s four years in elected office, nor less broad than Faulconer’s seven years on the same Council. Those three years have been spent representing some of San Diego’s poorest communities, and come after 30 years spent growing up in and reaching out to those very neighborhoods. For understanding the needs of underserved San Diegans, that’s a strong track record.
Voters worried that Alvarez is too partisan to work across the aisle need only listen to Faulconer, who often rattles off things they have done together on Council. As to “getting things done,” is there better proof than Alvarez apparently being one of the few people who could move Mayor Filner in negotiations?
Unfortunately, Filner’s actions and methods slowed the progressive agenda San Diegans elected him to implement. Interim Mayor Todd Gloria has gotten the ball rolling again, but that agenda deserved more than a one year trial. Councilmember Alvarez is the candidate best equipped to keep San Diego moving toward health, jobs and access for all San Diegans. For that, he has my vote and the Politically Aware endorsement for mayor of San Diego.
Looking for more information? Cases for and against Fletcher, Faulconer and Alvarez can be found at LGBTweekly.com
