GENTRIFICATION - Stemming the tide of neighborhood gentrification is one of my primary concerns motivating my candidacy. Our current Board of Supervisors and Planning Commissioners have marched lock-step to the tune of old-styled political patronage and paybacks; the horrific result is a tidal wave of overpriced, runaway development that is not only transforming the character our neighborhoods, but also forcing our working class families out.

I support a managed development process that is keyed to neighborhood interaction, making the City and Community actual partners in commercial and housing development ventures; this approach proved quite successful for the City of Hartford, Connecticut, and they were not financially flush as our city is today. The "Plan" calls for:
- Revitalizing our neighborhoods by revitalizing our neighborhood commercial districts, a Renaissance of blighted areas. Small businesses have a direct stake in the prosperity of the communities in which they are situated and, unlike corporate chains, they prove to be committed to the neighborhoods, even when times turn bad. Redevelopment emphasizing "Capital Improvement" programs targeted at shoring up the small business base is essential to the overall prosperity of the community.
- Stabilizing the housing market forces, that are driving out our working class families, by expanding the housing stock. To accomplish this end, I support a community inclusive policy for affordable home ownership (with special assistance for first time buyers) through a "Municipal/Community Partnership" program to develop low density/low cost housing. This approach can be adapted from the extremely successful "Nehemiah Project" employed in Brooklyn, New York; over there community leadership raised funds for a revolving interest free construction fund and in turn the City subsidized each house with a loan, repayable upon resale, and also deferred property taxes for a reasonable period. The "Project's" result was the creation of a substantial affordable housing stock, directed towards both moderate and low income residents; 40% of the new home owners came from public housing, which in turn freed up public housing units for those people stuck on waiting lists.
- Increasing the economic position of neighborhood residents, where ever possible, by reducing city living costs through innovative, joint "Municipal/Community Service" approaches.

UNEMPLOYMENT - While our City is generally booming from the heady economic times experienced within the Bay Area, large quarters of our district are still mired in high levels of unemployment. This situation is unacceptable and must be swiftly tackled; as I learned from my military and business experience, any group (or community) is only as strong as its weakest member. Campaign rhetoric aside, City Hall has largely surrendered this community to the perception that this is an intractable problem rooted in a culture of poverty. I reject this defeatism and support a comprehensive program to end the social isolation that excludes this District's residents from the job net-working system that underpins the prosperity of other neighborhoods, and as a consequence, undermines this District (and City) as a whole. I will battle to end the cycle of unemployment recidivism and the false perception that we have an under-class of unemployables. I will, therefore, promote jobs growth by:
- Fostering vocational skills training programs.
- Facilitating job networking and apprenticeship transition into higher wage jobs.
- Developing a civic led "Community Childcare Cooperative" to help keep our struggling single parent and two parent earner families working.

PUBLIC HEALTH CARE - Our public health system is stretched at its seams; pharmacies are threatening closure, community health clinics' resources are strained, and, as any one who has had to endure hours long waits and shoddy medical treatment knows that, patient-customer service standards are deplorable. I will redouble efforts to redress our deteriorating community health facilities by ensuring that tax-exempt private hospitals are required to shoulder their fair share of the financial burden for care of indigent patients, the lack of which is undermining the integrity of our public health system.

TRAFFIC SAFETY - Must we endure more tragic accidents before City Hall takes notice? Neighborhood streets - Silver Avenue by the 21st Century Academy school in Silver Terrace and the San Bruno Avenue commercial corridor in Portola - have become perilous speedways threatening the safety of our vulnerable seniors and children alike.
- I will work to strengthen pedestrian and bicyclist safety efforts within the anti-gridlock scheme to ensure a more balanced traffic policy; that traffic policy must employ a long range, comprehensive approach inclusive of mass transit alternatives.
- I will actively work to bring about a close collaboration between community leaders and the appropriate city departments in order to develop an effective channel, by which neighborhood safety hot-spots can be speedily addressed and remedied, BEFORE tragedy occurs.
- I will work for the installation of large, well-timed crossing signals that use international symbols in order to mitigate confusion for our non-English speaking and our elderly residents.
- I will work to implement a city wide policy of no right turns on red lights; this will provide an added measure of protection for pedestrians in crosswalks.
- I will work to implement a ban on the use of hand-held cellular phones while driving within the city limits; the safety of our residents must never be placed second to mere convenience.