The Widder Curry: Why I’m Not Voting for Nathan Fletcher.

By Judi Curry

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet David Alvarez at a “meet and greet” party. Although I walked into the meeting as a Mike Aguirre supporter, I was very impressed with the way David talked to the crowd; answered all questions without hemming and hawing, and told us his plans when he becomes the Mayor of San Diego. Although not ready to endorse him over Mike Aguirre, I couldn’t help but feel that a vote for Mike is a wasted vote, and possibly a vote for Faulconer, my current representative on the City Council.

I decided before I could truly make up my mind about the candidates, I would like to hear Nathan Fletcher speak. I don’t mean in a debate where the answers are canned and fluffy; but in a similar setting as the “meet and greet” for Alvarez.

I called Fletcher’s office and told them I would like to know where he was speaking to small groups, and was told to write a letter to “Rachel” on his staff and she would get back to me about my request. I said that I was a journalist for the San Diego Free Press and the OB Rag and one of my readers had specifically made the request that I hear Fletcher speak before endorsing any one in the election. That was three weeks ago. I have not heard back from her.

I received a call from one of Fletcher’s supporters telling me why I should vote for him, but I stopped him and told him that until I received a call back from Rachel, or someone on his staff, I had no intention of voting for the man. (His call to me was at random and had nothing to do with the letter I sent Rachel.) I am already suspicious of a man that was a republican; then an independent, and now a democrat. I am suspicious of a man running a campaign where his staff members do not return calls or letters.

As much as I did not want to go to a large meeting to hear the candidates, I had decided to go to the meeting held at the Joyce Beers Community Center earlier this week. I was late in leaving the house and received a call from someone there that Fletcher was not going to show up. So I did not go because I knew that he was scheduled to speak at the Ocean Beach Town Council on the 23rd, and I could hear what the 4 candidates had to say then. After all, I didn’t need to drive to the Joyce Beers center when the main reason for me going was to hear Fletcher.

But guess what? Fletcher – and Faulconer were no shows at the Ocean Beach Town Council. They both had over a month to prepare for this event, yet neither of them could find time to address those of us attending the meeting. Fletcher did send a representative, who spent a great deal of time telling who was endorsing him, as if that makes a difference. But Fletcher was not there, and he, the man, could not answer questions that the other candidates were asked.

Faulconer didn’t even bother sending a representative. What does that tell you about him?

In checking the number of meetings that Fletcher has been invited to, it appears that unless they were big fund-raising events he was not interested. After all, us little guys with holes in our pockets will not be shelling out the monies for his campaign. No, it is obvious to me that he doesn’t care about neighborhood blight; he doesn’t care about infrastructure; the only thing that he does care about is being the Mayor of San Diego, and the issues facing the citizens be damned. He doesn’t have time to attend the meetings; he won’t have time to meet with us if elected either.

And as far as Mike Aguirre goes – after hearing David Alvarez speak to issue after issue, I have now put up signs in my yard endorsing him.

I truly wish that Mike had not alienated so many people, and although I would love to see him go head to head with Jan Goldsmith – I don’t think he has a chance, and to vote for him would be a wasted vote. I wish he would drop out of the race and have his supporters support Alvarez. If Alvarez doesn’t become the mayor of San Diego, we will be right back where we were when Murphy, Golding, and Sanders were mayors. Any progress forward will be frozen .

If you liked the way San Diego was run for the past 20 years, then voting for Faulconer or Fletcher will guarantee no change, unless it is for the worst. If you haven’t heard David, find out where he is speaking and go listen to him. Go with a list of questions. He will answer each and every one of them without all the fluff we are getting from Fletcher. Then mark your ballot for Alvarez, third from the bottom on the ballot.