By Jim Miller
March 3rd is primary day, and if you’ve been too busy to pay much attention, here, in my estimation, are the three most important things progressive San Diegans can do in tomorrow’s election:
Vote Against Sprawl and for Development that Will Help us Fight Climate Change in San Diego County, Vote Yes on A
As I wrote last fall about this measure, despite all the developer money and political muscle against it:
This much-needed measure will prevent sprawl by giving San Diego County residents a voice in how and where development happens in our region. If passed, it would require voter approval of changes to San Diego’s General Plan that would increase housing density in rural and semi-rural areas.
This would stop politicians elected by developer money from amending the General Plan without a vote of the people. It would also encourage saner development in line with the General Plan that calls for 60,000 new units of affordable housing closer to urban infrastructure and transit that would not require a vote. What would be restricted? Luxury mega-projects built far away from infrastructure in fire-prone areas.
San Diego County has seen big money defeat similar efforts in the past, but now, as we watch California turn into an inferno once again, perhaps reason will prevail. It’s time we stop our history of insane development, save our countryside, protect the local environment, and not let moneyed interests make the future of our region any more perilous than it already is.
The polling shows that despite opposition from the local political establishment and huge spending, San Diegans are actually leaning toward passing Measure A. In addition to being the right thing to do, this would be a refreshing victory for people power over big money and insider influence .
Help push Measure A across the finish line.
Help Georgette Gomez Get to November in the CA 53 Race
In a recent column, I outlined how much money was being spent by the Jacobs campaign to overwhelm local City Council person and champion for social justice, Georgette Gomez . Since that column, Doug Porter has reported that that forces aligned with Jacobs are now spending $385,000 on ads for the Republican in the race to knock Gomez out of the primary. If this happens, San Diego progressives would be losing a rare chance to send a genuine champion to Congress rather than the crew of largely corporate Democrats now representing our region. That’s why both AOC and Bernie Sanders have endorsed Gomez.
As I wrote in my column on this race:
Her previous work for the Environmental Health Coalition and her strong advocacy for workers, the environment, and social justice on the City Council serves as evidence that she has a real understanding of what matters in the lives of ordinary people and how we can begin to make meaningful change in their lives. She has paid her dues and done the real work. As Bernie Sanders noted in his endorsement of Gomez, she is someone who understands that real change comes from the “bottom on up, not the top on down.”
Vote Hope Over Fear, Vote for Bernie Sanders for President
Last week I outlined my case for Sanders in a full column so today I’ll just offer this final thought as to why the ethos of solidarity that defines the Sanders campaign is worth supporting over the chorus of fear, hand wringing, and corporate hegemony being offered by most of his opponents.
If you are paying attention, sometimes it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the maelstrom of conflict and grim news that surrounds us. But what keeps many of us from surrendering to the pessimism of our intellects is love—love for the young people who are the future, love for the imperiled places here in this beautiful state, and love (however abstract) for people we don’t even know who deserve a better future than the one we seem bent on occupying as we consistently fail to listen to the better angels of our nature.
It was Sanders who put it best in his big New York speech upon returning to the campaign trail after suffering a heart attack:
My question now to you is are you willing to fight for that person who you don’t even know as much as you’re willing to fight for yourself? Because if you are willing to do that, if you are willing to love, if you are willing to fight for a government of compassion and justice and decency, if you are willing to stand up to Trump’s desire to divide us up, if you are prepared to stand up to the greed and corruption of the corporate elite, if you and millions of others are prepared to do that, then there is no doubt in my mind that not only will we win the election but together we will transform this country.
This kind of love is a moral obligation. It is the only thing that can save us.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Having lived through a number of idealistic and failed Democratic campaigns, I have to say that if Bernie is the guy, we will see results similar to what happened to McGovern. Democrats have fallen in love with candidates that have been slaughtered in the elections. If right wing t-rump goes up against left wing Sanders, we will lose. Period. I like Sanders too but the guy in the White House now will do far greater harm to this country if he wins another four years than he has already done. We need an electable candidate folks, we need this idiot gone.
Well said Geoff. I am 100% against the super left, now is not the time nor the place for Bernie.
I’m sorry, but I can’t agree with the assertion that Georgettee Gomez has paid her dues or has the experience to earn a seat in congress. Yes, she has done good work for EHC, and a close friend who spends a lot of time at city hall representing her clients admires Gomez or her intelligence, but I can’t support someone running for higher office barely one year after assuming her present office, especially one’s first elected office. She only assumed her office in December, 2018, which means she has barely served one fourth of the term for which her supporters elected her. The.military speaks of “time in grade” and I think this concept carries over to political office as well. She should serve her constituents for a while before seeking higher office.
Sara has no experience serving anything. Please, Paul.
A vote for measure A is a vote for infill and rezoning to turn existing quiet neighborhoods into castles of condo complexes.
Unless you’re going to build a wall around California, you have to allow some sprawl, and leaving every large development up to the voters is not the way to do it. It will increase the cost of building housing vastly more than it is already. Let the planners and elected representatives of that area make that decision on general plan amendments affecting that area.
Nah, Measure A doesn’t change any zoning AT ALL. It only makes it so that big developers can’t make major changes to zoning rules (via a highly politically-driven process) in rural and semi-rural areas of the County. All it will do is encourage the developers to follow existing land use rules. That’s it.
Well the housing has to go somewhere. If we don’t allow something the state will force it down our throats in your front yard. .
Countywide votes should not be deciding on housing developments.
I didn’t say anything about supporting Sara Jacobs, which I do not. I was merely commenting on the writer’s endorsement of Gomez. Frankly there were a number of races, including this one, where I was glad I didn’t have to make a choice. Several offices had no candidates for whom I would have had any enthusiasm whatsoever.