Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 120
Last week, I took a tour of Fit Athletic and Gym, which is the largest privately owned gym in San Diego. Fit opened their doors for the first time in 90 days June 15. While it’s long overdue, I’m glad to see Fit and other local businesses are finally reopening. I want to tell all the business owners, all the employees and everyone who’s struggled over the last three months, thank you. Thank you for being patient, thank you for submitting safety business proposals and thank...
Throughout our battle against COVID-19, my goal has always been to open more businesses and continue our momentum while keeping people safe, especially protecting those that are vulnerable. Over the last two weeks, we’ve seen our restaurants, retail businesses, hair salons and barbershops open safely, without any major spikes in coronavirus cases or capacity issues in hospitals. While our testing has increased, the percentages of positive tests have gone down and continues to...
5th District During the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve been led by facts and data. While I’m pleased to see more businesses open, like hair salons and restaurants, there are many more that need to open. During this opening process we need to continue to be safe and smart about protecting our most vulnerable. As of May 27, 2020, 43% of the COVID-19 deaths in the United States occurred at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. In Minnesota, for example, a staggering 81% of all...
Our momentum is building, San Diego County! Thanks to your support, restaurants are open for dine-in and retail shops for in store shopping. Also, we’ve sent a proposed pilot program telling the governor we are ready to open personal salons, fitness facilities, outdoor religious services, homeowner association pools, therapeutic and peer support groups and modified youth sports. I want to keep pushing to open more, but it’s a start and our voices are being heard. I would love to see churches, amusement parks and many other bu...
Should we open businesses “or” stay safe? It is not an either/or answer – we can do both. It’s about moving from essential to safe. San Diego County can stay safe and be open for business. We proved it with the essential businesses being open, and flattening the curve and trends at the same time. We are a government of, for and by the people. We, the people of California, are facing the state’s new restrictions that hold our freedoms, our jobs and our economy hostage....
These past two months have been difficult for everyone, but especially for business owners throughout the region. We all understand the multiple levels of grief and hardship that COVID-19 has inflicted upon San Diegans. Families who have lost members to the virus and business owners who will never be able to reopen. Throughout these two months, I’ve relied on facts, not politics, to guide my decisions. California has a population of 39.9 million people. As I write this, 0...
Last week, my office received word that Gov. Gavin Newsom would be closing down beaches throughout California. While he ultimately caved to the pressure of the people, the governor is governing with temper tantrums, fear and retractions. I’m glad how it turned out, leaving San Diego beaches open, but it was unfortunate. Below is the letter I sent to his office, before the announcement: “The announcement that the state of California will be shutting down all beaches is an ext...
Thank you, San Diego County. The sacrifices you’ve made are extensive, and there has been a willingness for you to do what was necessary to stay inside. We are now at a crossroads when it comes to COVID-19. We must decide the best course for the entire population. At these crossroads, we see despair and economic devastation from the virus. One of the biggest things we have learned over the past month is how to combat the virus. Washing your hands for 20 seconds works; s...
While we continue to stay at home and do a great job flattening the curve, I have a favor to ask. I want to hear from business owners. San Diego County knows many businesses are on the brink of going under, and we are trying to do all we can to help them. We’ve created a website, https://www.SanDiegoBackToWork.com, and are asking for your ideas in opening our economy back up. Your input on how the county can help get businesses open is important. While I’m not a public hea...
Fifth District We are in this fight together. While COVID-19 is the hidden enemy, we have seen the toll it’s taken upon our entire county. I mentioned this last week, but it’s just as true today. The Coronavirus doesn’t just affect Republicans or Democrats. It doesn’t discriminate based on the color of your skin, or what language you speak. We must all come together to defeat this enemy. While news continues to move by the hour, I wanted to provide you with an update of what...
These are interesting times that we are living through. While the situation remains fluid, I wanted to update you on the latest regarding the coronavirus and what we are doing in San Diego County. As per Gov. Gavin Newsom’s orders, the entire state of California is under a shelter in place order. All Californians are being asked to stay at home if you do not need to go out for essential reasons. These reasons can include buying food, picking up medications and exercising as l...
The last two weeks have caused unprecedented uncertainty across this country and across this county, but in order to overcome, we must come together. While we are still in the midst of this storm, we need to set our sights on the future. Last week, the Board of Supervisors took action on a Board Letter introduced by Supervisor Kristin Gaspar and myself to defer fees collected by the Department of Environmental Health from March 1, 2020, through Aug. 30, 2020, for restaurants...
Our world has certainly changed this past week, and as I write this I understand much more could change by the time you read it. I did want to give you an update on what San Diego County is doing regarding the coronavirus. All public or private gatherings over 250 people are prohibited in San Diego County, through the month of March. Gatherings of less than 250 people are strongly encouraged to keep a social distance of 6 feet from one another in conformance with California...
5th District I’m not great with all of the new and ever-changing technology and I’m still getting used to Twitter, but at the county we are technologically advanced. San Diego County has a host of apps to help residents report problems, alert people to emergencies and various other resources. The “Tell us Now” app is a way for residents to report nonemergency problems including road repair, graffiti, abandoned vehicles and other issues. The “SD Emergency” app has extensive i...
A few weeks ago, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors passed a comprehensive board policy to address homelessness in the unincorporated area of the county. My office has received numerous questions from Fallbrook residents and the surrounding areas. There seems to be some misinformation, and I want to provide you with an update. The immediate concerns addressed in the board letter focus on the areas in East County such as Spring Valley and Lakeside where the population...
One of the hardest, but most rewarding parts about being a San Diego County Supervisor is being able to help out many groups in our community. Through the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program, we are able to fund nonprofit organizations who provide essential services to citizens of San Diego County. Reinvesting taxpayer money in worthwhile organizations is a benefit to the citizens and communities of North County. Although there are many wonderful programs in our region, we...
We’ve all heard it; there’s a shortage of housing in San Diego County. Every day, families spend hours in their car, stuck in traffic as they make their way to and from work. Many of these folks are not living in San Diego County. It’s a sad day when you realize your children, many of whom are college graduates, can’t afford to buy a starter home in this county. While there is a shortage of housing, there is no shortage of government regulations. Young families, our veteran...
District Five San Diego County, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and state and local jurisdictions across the nation are closely monitoring the Coronavirus. It was first detected in December 2019, in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, and continues to expand globally. A number of countries, including the United States, are actively screening incoming travelers from Wuhan. Measures are in place to prevent infection and spread to...
5th District Do you want to stay up to date on the latest happenings in San Diego County District 5? I suggest you subscribe to our weekly podcast where we talk about various topics in our community. Once a week, I sit down and preview the upcoming supervisor’s board meeting, talk about what happened last meeting and discuss other issues in our district. Plus, every week we sit down with someone who works for the county and learn more about their job. We’ve spoken with fir...
Homelessness in California is at extremely high levels and San Diego, while better than San Francisco and Los Angeles, has a steadily rising homeless population. Last week, I partnered with Supervisor Jacob on addressing the homeless population in San Diego’s unincorporated area. In our Board Letter, I’ve asked county staff to take a look at existing buildings, which could be used for transitional housing. Also, the county will be adding four additional deputies to the HART program. The value of human life must always be a f...
5th District As we are now fully in 2020, I thought this would be a great time to talk about the current status of San Diego County. One of the questions I get asked most when I’m out is, what does a supervisor supervise? Well, there are five San Diego County supervisors, and we are in charge of a variety of things from public health, food stamps, Registrar of Voters and many other items. We also manage state and federal money for local programs. I have the privilege of not o...
Fifth District This past Friday, common sense went out the window. At a meeting to determine the future of transportation dollars, the SANDAG Board of Directors voted to allocate $90 million for bike lanes in San Diego County. While I like bikes, most people use them recreationally. Despite less than 1% of San Diegans using bikes as their primary transportation, bike lanes are being built around San Diego County at $5.5 million per mile! Meanwhile, we’ve been told by S...
As we head into 2020, I want to let everyone know about the resources we have for the people of San Diego County. First, if you still have that Christmas tree and need to get rid of it, we are here to help. If you have a real tree, make sure to dispose of it in the proper way. Leaving your old, dry tree or wreaths lying in your backyard can spark fires. Make sure to check with your waste hauler or visit the county’s website, www.wastefreeSD.org to find a tree drop-off site nea...
It’s been a fantastic first year as a San Diego County Supervisor and while I’ve learned a lot, none of it would be possible without you all. We’ve made some great strides at SANDAG, on behavioral health and Veterans Affairs as I mentioned last week. Locally, we initiated action with Chairwoman Jacob to dedicate $28 million to unincorporated area road improvements and maintenance. As we look ahead to 2020, I wanted to highlight some items we will be looking at. While we’ve...
The end of the year is a great time to look back and look ahead. While it’s been a whirlwind first year as a San Diego County Supervisor, I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together! One of my big focuses when taking over the District 5 seat on the board of supervisors was fire safety. We all know fires are inevitable in San Diego, but we can make a difference by being prepared. We haven’t seen any major wildfires this year and that’s a credit to CALFIRE and all the technologies in place. Our new helitanke...
