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
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No more TV commercials, no more opening up your mailbox to 20 different mailers from candidates, no more political signs, the 2020 election has come to a close, sort of. At the time of writing this, 64.4% of the votes have been counted in San Diego County and over 95% of the votes have been counted at the state. While some races are too close to call, it looks like there will be three new members on the Board of Supervisors. I look forward to working with Nora Vargas, Terra...
Every COVID-19 death is a tragedy and while we continue to fight this virus, we may never know the real number of deaths when it comes to this disease. According to the U.S. Census Bureau as of July, more than 44% of Californians reported levels of anxiety and depression. Over 71% of Californians between the age of 18 and 29 reported feeling down, depressed or hopeless. The reality is a significant portion of the population is suffering, not from coronavirus, but from the...
As we now come upon the seventh month of lockdowns in San Diego County, I see us getting further and further away from our original goal. As I’m writing this, COVID-19 patients make up 5% of current hospitalizations, which is a credit to our public health officials and the people of San Diego. We have done an outstanding job of protecting our most vulnerable. While positive cases may be rising, our hospital capacity remains strong. However, businesses are still suffering. W...
This past Friday, I scrolled through my phone and came upon something I couldn’t believe. For all the absurdities that have come down from the State of California, this may take first prize. What was I reading? The state’s new guidance on private gatherings. Here are some of the points: Gatherings that include more than three households are prohibited. All gatherings must be held outside. Attendees may go inside to use restrooms. Gatherings should be two hours or less. Sin...
Life is about managing risks. Every time we leave our house, there is some risk involved. Unfortunately, accidents happen all the time and can devastate families. However, every day we weigh different options and outcomes based on the risks. This leads me to our current situation. COVID-19 isn’t going away any time soon, so we are left with two options, stay inside, or learn to live with the virus. As I wrote about last week, vaccines usually take years to develop and even i...
I’ve repeated this often over the last few months. We have lost sight of the goal. I think it’s reasonable for everyone to take a step back and say how did we end up here? How did we go from we need to flatten the curve in the month of April to, we are going to shut your business down if you decide to stay open? Almost all business owners set goals, they set goals as a way to look towards the future. I look to Sacramento and I wonder, what is the goal? Is it hospital cap...
A celebration is not in order. Even though San Diego County barely missed dropping into the purple tier, there is no cause for celebrating. There is no business plan for a gym to operate at 10% capacity. There is no business plan for a restaurant to operate at 25% capacity. We cannot continue to have 200,000 San Diegans out of work. As I drive around San Diego County, I see more and more businesses closing their doors. I see the people and the businesses which make up San...
San Diego has been backed into a corner with unreasonable expectations. The state's new, color coded criteria makes it impossible for San Diego County to ever completely open. Last week, I made a motion at the Board of Supervisors meeting for the county to no longer enforce whether businesses should be open or closed. I still believe that we should enforce the health and safety protocols, but let the state enforce their closure requirements. Unfortunately, my motion didn’t r... Full story
Everyday tens of thousands of people safely shop at big box retail and grocery stores where respectful San Diego shoppers obey the mask, social distancing and sanitation protocols. Churches, museums, restaurants and the zoo are now open, but to a limited 25% capacity. Legoland, street fairs and wedding venues have yet to open while liquor stores and marijuana dispensaries operate unabated. While big box retailers thrive, many small businesses are not afforded the same... Full story
Let’s start with the good news. Your continued pressure has been felt in Sacramento, and some businesses are able to reopen, at least partially. I’ve talked to many of you who didn’t know if your business would be able to survive any more shutdowns. I know those in the hair and nail salon industry go through extensive safety training to receive required state licenses, and I’m glad to see that they are able to open at full capacity with appropriate safety measures. Now, he... Full story
We can start with some good news when it comes to our push to reopen San Diego. Our children can go back to school. Last week, it was announced that all San Diego County school can open. Now, it’s up to school districts to determine their best method of learning, including in-person with safety measures to protect students and staff. While I’m pleased to see children going back into the classroom, that is only half of the battle. We still have a 12% unemployment rate in San Di... Full story
For many years, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors has been criticized for not spending its reserves. When I ran for election in 2018, I stressed that we must continue to be fiscally responsible, maintaining healthy reserves in case of an emergency. The coronavirus pandemic qualifies as an emergency and has certainly been difficult on everyone, but also is a prime example of why the county needs strong fiscal reserves. San Diego County released their budget for fiscal... Full story
Over the last four months there have been many unknowns regarding COVID-19, but as time has progressed, people have learned a lot too. They’ve learned that those with underlying health conditions are more susceptible to the virus. They’ve learned that children are rarely affected by the virus, and they’ve learned how to better treat the virus. They need to thoughtfully apply what they’ve learned how to prevent the spread, how to treat, who are more and who are less vulnera... Full story
When it comes to any decisions at the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, I weigh the different outcomes. Whether it’s deciding on an upcoming vote, or reopening businesses during a pandemic, it is my job as a policymaker to make sure that we are balancing the public health side and the economic side. There will always be risks with life. For the past 30 years, I’ve been an airline pilot. Every flight, people have taken the risks boarding the plane. I make calculations bas... Full story
We must get our kids back in school. I know for some that can be a frightening statement, but throughout this pandemic, I’ve made my decisions and opinions based on science and data. Over the last month, I’ve had conversations with doctors, data experts and researchers about COVID-19 and one of the most consistent messages has been, we need our young people back in the classroom. While there are still many questions regarding COVID-19, we do know that young people rarely suf... Full story
Unfortunately for many businesses in San Diego County, the end is near. With the Governor’s announcement that gyms, personal care services, hair salons, barbershops and malls must cease indoor operations, this could be the final straw. The Governor compared his latest announcement to turning down a dimmer switch, but unfortunately, he’s turning off the lights for many small businesses in San Diego County. The latest shutdowns are entirely unwarranted. Our hospital numbers are... Full story
I know that the last three months have been extremely difficult for small businesses and nonprofits. While I’ve advocated to open up businesses in a safe manner, there is still a 15% unemployment rate, and that will rise with the latest round of closures in early July. In order to cope with these difficult times, San Diego County has created a small business/nonprofit stimulus grant fund. The purpose of this fund is to provide economic assistance to help small businesses a... Full story
My goal during this pandemic has been to keep people safe, while responsibly reopening businesses and getting people back to work. We continue to test more people than we ever have, which is why we’ve seen an increase in positive cases. While positive testing results are increasing, as we approach the July Fourth holiday, hospitalizations and intensive care unit capacity remains relatively stable. Shutting down entire industry sectors that employ thousands of workers is d... Full story
At the beginning of this pandemic, public health officials told us the goal. We needed to stabilize our health care system, make sure we had enough hospital beds and secure a healthy supply of medical equipment including ventilators. Thanks to our public health officials and the people of San Diego County, we have achieved our goal. Throughout our COVID-19 response, I’ve made my decisions based on facts, not media headlines. It is true, our positive COVID-19 numbers are r... Full story
We continue to make progress in reopening San Diego County, while also keeping our communities safe. The latest openings include, nail salons, facial salons, estheticians, skin care, cosmetology, massages, tattoo and piercing parlors and other personal services. Wedding ceremonies that follow the religious services guidance are also allowed. We continue to increase our testing capacity in San Diego County, with over 4,000 San Diegans tested every day. The rate continues to rem... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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.... Full story
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... Full story
