EYE ON SJC/PAGE

Meet the Candidates

Vote-by-mail ballots have begun to hit constituents’ mailboxes this week as California’s Primary Election is less than a month away. In an effort to give our readers more insight into the slate of candidates vying for seats in major local elected offices, we’ve given those running an opportunity to respond to some questions related to issues impacting South Orange County. Every district-area candidate seeking office in the State Senate and Assembly, Orange County Board and U.S. House of Representatives was given three questions and asked for 400-word responses to each. Some candidates did not submit responses to our questions. Space for their responses was left blank. Given space limitations, only one or two of the questions per race will be published here. The full slate of the questions and answers can be found at thecapistranodispatch.com.

QUESTION 1 | What are your thoughts on the availability of homeless shelter beds in South County? Could more be done to improve availability? If so, what solutions would you propose as a Board Supervisor to 1) provide more shelter space, and 2) facilitate the development of permanent supportive housing—either locally, by city, or regionally? If not through shelter or housing—permanent supportive, affordable, or otherwise—what alternatives would you support to address the ongoing homelessness crisis?

COUNTY BOARD FIFTH DISTRICT CANDIDATES

*INCUMBENT

OC Board Supervisor Katrina Foley*

I’ve long believed the county’s failure to take responsibility for the regional issue of homelessness has exacerbated the problem. Past county leaders left individual cities to figure out how to fund shelters and services with their scarce general funds, instead of the county using the funding it receives annually for homelessness solutions. The county continues to struggle to assign regular patrols and clear encampments in its flood channels and parks, forcing cities to tackle the issue. Immediately after joining the board, I initiated a first-of-its-kind audit of all county dollars spent on homelessness to assess what is working, cut wasteful spending, and find solutions for our entire region. As the OC Register reported, my April Investigative Hearing on Homelessness made findings of the audit public, which concluded that, “unless the County creates a comprehensive countywide strategy focused on lasting solutions, (we) may be stuck on a hamster wheel: solving the same problems over and over, community by community.”

When reelected, I’ll finish crafting the strategic plan with regional metrics and goals to end this crisis, while also building on my previous success of reducing homelessness by converting dilapidated, unsafe motels into permanent supportive housing for veterans and families, and continue funding the clearing of encampments in parks and flood channels. A regional collaborative approach requires public safety, mental health social workers, public health, our faith-based community, and a true city-county partnership.

Former Assemblymember Diane Harkey

South OC does not have a comprehensive approach to address homelessness—yet. Solutions will not happen if we wait on Sacramento to act on legislation that is national or statewide that may not be practical for South OC. While we welcome options for temporary shelters, converting motels or other units into permanent shelters wouldn’t be optimal in high-tourist beach areas. We know what works for Orange County, which has built a System of Care and a broad response plan. The OC Housing Finance Trust was formed to identify and secure 2,700 permanent supportive housing units, with six projects underway in SOC that I will shepherd to completion. Additionally, we must expand support for nonprofits such as the Family Assistance Ministries (FAM) that provide temporary and permanent shelters in SOC at present and offer intake assessments for countywide homeless assistance. FAM also operates a food bank in San Clemente and thrift store in Laguna Niguel. FAM will need to relocate their intake and foodbank facility within the next year due to expiration of a leased facility in San Clemente. One housing model is to purchase existing multi-family units through contributions, grants and mortgages, which they retire. They presently own two triplexes and house those with children who need temporary assistance, one family per bedroom with the common area shared. I’ve toured these facilities, and units are in excellent repair, meld into the neighborhood and have on-site supervision. Within 90 days, these families are relocated into rental housing and within a year, families are paying full market rent and back on their feet again. FAM also works to secure permanent housing for mentally ill and disabled and elderly persons. (See: familyassistance.org)

Illumination Foundation is a comprehensive resource nonprofit organization that we can and do leverage to assist in SOC. Be Well OC provides mental health assistance and mobile response teams for addiction and mental illness. Working with the cities, I will help secure location(s) that meets the court mandate for our Southern region, ensure the county is available to provide wraparound integrated services for care. I will explore options within our district for a central facility such that the burden on the cities is relieved as much as possible. We should not be subjected to illegal camping in our parks, beaches, alleys, or business locations. We can and will do better to meet the requirements for relocation and supporting our communities.

Newport Beach Councilmember Kevin Muldoon

Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach have regional shelter beds dedicated to their homeless shelter needs. The County of Orange has an adequate number of homeless shelter beds required to address the needs of the remaining South County cities, but the county’s Yale Navigation Center has temporarily limited their capacity out of health concerns. Lifting those restrictions will immediately increase shelter space and provide sufficient shelter beds for South County.

State Sen. Patricia Bates

Cities have the responsibility to determine where housing is allowed in their community. While on the Laguna Niguel City Council, the Board of Supervisors and as your state senator, I have always been an advocate for local control. I will advocate with the county to work with South County cities to look at commercial and industrial land within their jurisdictions that is no longer occupied, and appropriately rezone those sites to build affordable mixed-used housing and emergency housing, ensuring those developments are placed in appropriate areas and have the support of neighboring properties. I will work with our County Planning and Public Works Department to advocate for waiving or lowering the fee structures for projects aimed at providing affordable housing. Accountability is key to determine best practices, and which approaches to ending homelessness have worked. Given the state has spent $17 billion to date and the problem has grown, I support auditing those programs to determine which ones move forward.

Meet the Candidates

QUESTION 2 | It’s widely agreed upon by local municipalities, community members and the region’s elected officials that the spent nuclear fuel stored at the decommissioned San Onofre power plant needs to be removed, and that it’s the federal government’s responsibility to locate interim and permanent repositories for the waste. If elected to Congress, what solutions and legislation would you propose to spur action in getting a national storage facility sited?

QUESTION 3 | Nations across the globe have felt the impacts of climate change, and here in California, we’ve seen record-setting wildfires, ongoing drought and coastal erosion. While efforts are being made to get more electric vehicles on the road and charging stations developed, what other tools do you believe the federal government—Congressional lawmakers, in particular—possess to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

49TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CANDIDATES

*INCUMBENT

LVN and Businesswoman Nadia Smalley

RESPONSE 2: I believe in a course to nuclear fuel reprocessing, nuclear fuel recycling. Perhaps the nuclear fuel can be safely sold, if not reused for homeland fuel. After the agreed sale or reusable measures are set in place, the nuclear fuel will then be taken out of San Onofre, then restored into another safe facility unanimously agreed upon by the community and the regions’ elected officials in Congress, or safely relocated by its new owner.

RESPONSE 3: Well, I can stay for a while, far as will have to definitely employ more federal firefighters for this position and stand by for this event to take place; just be ready. As far as our ongoing drought, we have already put in place measures to conserve water during the day; reverse osmosis for ocean waters could be a tactic put in place for drought assistance. A tentative care approach from research groups, scientists and colleges, we would have to implement think tank groups to resolve this issue. I feel coastal erosion deserves funding for extensive deep water cleanup measures.

OC Board Supervisor Lisa Bartlett

RESPONSE 2: As a leader in the effort to safely decommission the San Onofre Nuclear power plant, this is an issue I have been championing for years and will continue to do so as a congresswoman. Currently, I am co-chairing Action for Spent Fuel Solutions Now—a broad-based coalition of all stakeholders—to pressure the federal government to act on securing a consent-based interim and permanent location for the spent nuclear fuel at the generating station. This is a job the federal government is already obligated to do, and should be doing. In addition, I am seeking the federal enabling legislation that will fund off-site storage, transport, disposal, and continual emergency preparedness and response activities related to the decommissioning of the facility through 2049.

RESPONSE 3: We must protect the environment, but I believe we can do so in an economically responsible way that benefits Americans instead of punishing them. As a congresswoman, I will continue to prioritize the protection of our coastline through practicable coastline resiliency initiatives. I have and will continue to support smart public and private investment in clean air initiatives. I oppose the expansion of offshore drilling in California and will always fight to hold polluters that destroy our environment accountable. In addition, I am helping lead the effort to safely decommission the San Onofre Nuclear power plant.

Former San Juan Capistrano Councilmember Brian Maryott

RESPONSE 2: California’s beautiful San Onofre State Beach, just north of San Diego and on the southernmost tip of Orange County, is situated next to 3.6 million pounds of nuclear waste from decommissioned nuclear reactors. This issue represents one of the federal government’s biggest domestic policy failures in the last half-century. Unfortunately, decades of showboating and partisan politics have left this nuclear waste stranded indefinitely next to countless citizens and a pristine ecosystem. Under the U.S. Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, the federal government was obligated to move nuclear waste into a remote and centralized federal facility. Despite this obligation, and after more than $15 billion was spent on researching and qualifying Yucca Mountain as a centralized disposal location, the Obama administration pulled the plug. Now, we continue to have waste buried in temporary accommodations in 35 different states—this is, of course, absurd, and incredibly dangerous. Redundant press conferences and useless Blue Ribbon commissions and local discussion panels won’t fix this problem. As a congressman, I will immediately join the effort in Congress to restart the Yucca Mountain process, while supporting tangible interim storage strategies that involve public-private partnerships. The humanitarian and ecological disaster that would ensue as a result of big government’s inaction, in regard to the decommissioned San Onofre power plant’s nuclear waste, makes the issue of responsible nuclear waste disposal an urgent matter for my campaign. Nuclear power isn’t the problem. The problem is a government that operates like a bureaucratic machine and is characterized by political grandstanding, which has enabled a near criminal lack of resolve to get something done on this pressing issue once and for all.

RESPONSE 3: Humanity’s negative impact on the environment is undeniable; however, the role bad environmental policy has played in California’s various ecological disasters, including the state’s worst wildfires, cannot be overstated. California’s deadliest wildfires in recent years have been decades in the making. As a congressman, I will work toward improving forest health and fire prevention through the use of prescribed and controlled burns to reduce the fuel load in forests and coastal chaparral, because leaving forests overgrown and unattended makes them prone to unusually destructive wildfires. Also, I will work toward holding corrupt gas and power companies responsible for the role they’ve played in causing destructive wildfires, like the Dixie Fire in Northern California. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), for instance, has been convicted of multiple felony crimes and has been deemed criminally negligent for years. This utility company, like many others, has direct ties to corrupt government officials, such as Gavin Newsom, who claim publicly that wildfires are simply a result of climate change, while simultaneously crafting legislation that protects the profits of negligent utility providers. Had these policy reforms, ensuring adequate forestry management and utility maintenance, been in place, the government would have largely prevented the enormous loss of life, property, and ecology that has occurred in recent years, and California’s forests would have been better equipped to survive an extended period of drought, similar to those that have been occurring long before industrialization.

49TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CANDIDATES

*INCUMBENT

Rep. Mike Levin*

RESPONSE 2: Addressing the spent nuclear fuel at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) has been one of my top priorities since I first ran for office, and I am proud to have made real bipartisan progress since I took office in addressing many of the challenges associated with moving the waste out of our community. One of the first actions I took as a member of Congress was to form a SONGS Task Force of experts and community leaders around the region to identify policy solutions. The SONGS Task Force released a comprehensive report containing recommendations on how to address the safe storage and removal of nuclear waste from our coast. Informed by the recommendations of the SONGS Task Force, I introduced bipartisan legislation with Rep. Darrell Issa and others to expedite the removal of nuclear waste from decommissioned plants in areas with high population density and seismic hazard, such as San Onofre; repeatedly pushed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to increase oversight at San Onofre; created a bipartisan Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus in Congress; and led legislation that was signed into law to spur innovation and research in the storage, transportation, and disposal of spent nuclear fuel. I also secured federal funding that has allowed the Department of Energy to restart a consent-based siting program. Just last month, I hosted Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station to push for federal action in getting the waste off of our beach. She announced that as a result of the interim storage process I helped fund, the federal government plans to provide money to communities that may want to host the waste. Safely and quickly removing the waste from San Onofre will continue to be one of my top priorities for as long as I have the honor to serve this district. RESPONSE 3: Our district is home to more than 50 miles of beautiful California coastline and other cherished lands and waters like San Onofre State Park and the San Elijo Lagoon. Unfortunately, these natural treasures are threatened by the climate crisis, including more extreme heat waves and longer droughts fueling year-round wildfires, and rising sea levels and storm surges driving unprecedented coastal erosion. As a longtime advocate for climate action and member of the House Natural Resources Committee and Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, I have led aggressive legislation to protect our planet for future generations. One of the first bills I supported in Congress banned new offshore drilling along our coast. I also introduced the American Coasts and Oceans Protection Act to specifically ban new offshore drilling activity along the Southern California coast. Following the October 2021 oil spill off the coast of Orange County, I led the effort to advance legislation ending new drilling and strengthening oversight of offshore drilling companies. I know that we can protect our environment, combat the climate crisis, and grow our economy at the same time. California has proven it is possible, and I have used our success as a model for action in Washington. I introduced legislation to transition America to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), expand charging infrastructure, and convert Park Service and Forest Service fleets to ZEVs so that we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manufacture the cars of the future right here in America. I have also worked across the aisle on bipartisan efforts to combat climate change. I fought for the inclusion of provisions in the bipartisan infrastructure law to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure, invest in the supply chain for batteries, provide $1.5 billion for clean hydrogen manufacturing, invest $550 million in the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, and much more.

Sheriff’s Deputy Josiah O’Neil

RESPONSE 2: I would immediately propose legislation to expand energy supply, including new nuclear reactors and national disposal sites, and federal payment for relocation and long-term storage would be part of that proposal. RESPONSE 3: Federal government has an obligation to provide clean, safe, and reliable energy to states and communities. By building new nuclear reactors, we could provide all the clean power that our growing economy demands.

Cybersecurity and Military Officer Renee Taylor

RESPONSE 2: According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), “There are about 86,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel from commercial reactors stored at 75 U.S. sites. This amount continues to grow. Policymakers have been at an impasse over what to do with the spent fuel since the licensing of the Yucca Mountain repository stopped in 2010. Unable to meet its disposal commitment, the U.S. government has paid reactor owners about $9 billion for storage.” Massive amounts of clean nuclear-generated electricity created spent nuclear fuel (SNF) over the last 40-plus years; siting and opening a repository for permanent disposal could take as many decades to establish. In the meantime, action must be taken to develop interim storage sites that can be licensed, built, and opened for SNF acceptance. Unfortunately, however, interim storage solutions for today may become tomorrow’s problem. In other words, interim may become permanent in the absence of a greater strategy. Current proposals denote interim storage for some 40 years, but it will take the United States well over 40 years to site, design, construct, and ultimately place spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste at a geologic repository. In December 1987, Congress amended the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) to designate Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the only site to be characterized as a permanent repository for all the nation’s nuclear waste. Since then, conflict and defunding have ensued. To break the impasse over a permanent solution for commercial spent nuclear fuel, Congress needs to authorize a new consent-based process for siting a repository. Finalizing legislation could help position the Department of Energy (DOE) to implement a consent-based process for consolidated interim storage facilities and/or permanent geologic repositories by amending the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) to allow for storage and disposal options other than, or in addition to, the Yucca Mountain repository. Lessons learned from a global perspective show that other countries have made strides to reach consensus after comparable stalemates. For example, Canada, Sweden, and Finland designated sites after 17-30 years of public discourse. The path to yes may be long, but it is achievable. RESPONSE 3: Climate change—according to NASA, numerous events can cause climate change. Some examples include the Earth’s changing distance from the sun; the sun sending out more or less energy; and ocean change due to volcanic eruptions. Of course, human activities can impact environmental conditions as well, such as driving vehicles, heating and cooling buildings, and even cooking food. All these activities take energy (typically generated by coal, oil and gas).

There should not be a single point of success or failure for energy consumption or emission output—e.g., exclusively electric vehicles. A comprehensive plan for climate change would need to consider many facets. Interestingly, the priority needs of California are the very things that contribute to climate change. California needs more housing, which, in turn, inevitably means clearing lands and trees, which help regulate carbon dioxide. With the significant population, California landfills for garbage are a major source of methane emissions. All of the things that California needs—energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture, and land use are among the main emitters. Therefore, future planning needs to include balancing between the need for energy, housing, and transport and the wants to reduce climate change. Congress alone cannot combat climate change, but Congress can support rational initiatives—such as encouraging various renewable energy alternatives, promoting public transportation, and fostering innovation. Addressing and mitigating the effects of climate change starts on an individual and community basis. Simple steps such as adjusting heating/cooling settings in homes and buildings, using brooms instead of leaf blowers, planting trees, energy-efficient building codes, sensible waste management (reduce, reuse, recycle), and cleaning up all the garbage littering our freeways are all a good start. Public transportation used to be a safe and efficient means of commuting, but for many individuals, it is not a viable option. For example, just going 9 miles on a bus route can take three hours, and train rides between San Diego and Los Angeles can take hours longer than driving. By improving time and distance efficiencies, public transportation could be a favorable alternative. Congress, communities, and individuals can all be instrumental environmental stewards—without excessive regulation and partisan posturing. Paraphrasing a popular quote, alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.

Oceanside Councilmember Christopher Rodriguez

RESPONSE 2:

RESPONSE 3:

Meet the Candidates

QUESTION 1 | Over the past year, we’ve seen inflation soar as a result of supply-chain disruptions, higher demand on goods and services, as well as impacts to the food and energy markets in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Do you have any plans or ideas on mitigating these effects for Californians, and what do you think about calls to suspend the gas tax to relieve prices at the pump? QUESTION 3 | What’s your perspective on satisfying the need for more affordable housing in the region, and what do you think about claims that the state is overreaching on the issue—a matter some say is better handled by local municipalities?

74TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT CANDIDATES

*INCUMBENT

Assemblymember Laurie Davies*

RESPONSE 1: We are projected to have tens of billions of dollars in surplus funds this year, most of this coming from your taxes, yet we have families choosing between gas and food. All we’ve gotten from a one-party rule is a proposed rebate that could be several months away. The super-majority has continued to vote to not hear Republicans’ immediate relief bill. Now, not only is there no relief, but the governor and his party missed the deadline to reduce the summer blend gas tax, which needed to be done by May 1 and will now add an additional $550 million in taxes to all Californians. I support an immediate halt to the gas tax for one year and support a decrease in the state gas tax rate.

RESPONSE 3: Unless we commit ourselves to reforms that allow more housing to be built, housing will continue to get more expensive. Everyone knows that CEQA has to be amended to make it harder to stop housing projects, but the majority (who have a super-majority in both Senate and Assembly and hold the governor’s office) has failed to act. Unfair rules and head-shaking fees to build new housing must be reduced so that the next generation of Californians aren’t forced to leave the state to find an affordable house.

San Clemente Mayor Pro Tem Chris Duncan

RESPONSE 1: Californians need relief from high prices and inflation, including high gas prices. With the recent news of California’s $68 billion budget surplus, I would support tax rebates to give money back to average Californians. Californians deserve tax relief and we should also incentivize and make it easier for local businesses to stay in California to keep their jobs here. To address supply chain issues, we must invest in our infrastructure, including ports, roads, highways and more. And ensure we have a skilled and trained workforce to construct these projects.

With high gas prices, any solution must benefit consumers directly, not line the pockets of big oil companies. That’s why I support the proposal to give $400 to California drivers. That’s more than what the average California family will spend on gas tax for a full year. Meanwhile, a gas tax holiday would not guarantee a full reduction in cost for consumers, it would mean the oil companies and gas stations would continue to make more profits at the disadvantage of Californians. However, I’m for an all-of-the-above approach and would also support a plan to both suspend the gas tax and provide rebates if that’s what it takes. We need to provide Californians with financial relief now.

RESPONSE 3: Our entire state is in the midst of a housing affordability crisis and we are seeing the implications across our community. We must make this a priority and find real solutions—not just talk. The root of this problem is a housing shortage. Our younger generations are concerned they may be forced to move out of California and may never be able to afford a home. This is unacceptable.

I will work to build more housing for people of all income levels, which means removing some of the red tape and obstacles to building new housing and giving economic incentives to build where it’s needed most. That must include affordable housing and market-rate housing production, with projects so certain workers, including teachers, police officers and firefighters, can live in the communities they serve.

This cannot be a one-size-fits-all solution. We must empower our municipalities to ensure that they build affordable housing that is right for their community. The design, size and location of new housing needs to fit the local character. I am a strong believer in local control and providing incentives, rather than imposing penalties, is a more effective way to actually get it done.

36TH SENATE DISTRICT CANDIDATES

Huntington Beach Councilmember Kim Carr

RESPONSE 1: Rising prices are crushing families, which is why, in the State Senate, I am committed to securing much-needed economic relief for residents in Orange County and across California. I believe that we need to suspend the gas tax temporarily and use California’s $45 billion budget surplus to provide residents with gas price relief payments for each car they own. Long-term, I will proactively make investments in clean energy to ensure gas hikes do not hurt working families as significantly in the future. I am also committed to expanding paid family leave, which allows Californians to take paid time off work upon the birth of a new child or to care for a seriously ill relative.

RESPONSE 3: I fully support building more affordable housing here in Orange County and across California, which is why, as Huntington Beach Mayor, I led in the creation of 674 middle-income housing units that allow entry-level employees, teachers, nurses, and others to work and live in the city they love. I believe the state needs to be more helpful in assisting local municipalities reach their affordable housing goals, for example, by offering incentives.

Assemblymember Janet Nguyen

RESPONSE 1:

RESPONSE 3:

(Continued)

38TH SENATE DISTRICT CANDIDATES

*INCUMBENT

Retired Fire Capt. Joe Kerr

RESPONSE 1: Many daunting factors come into play surrounding the disruptions to our global supply chain, such as the need for more ships, more truck drivers, and more warehouse space. These are complex issues that cannot be fixed overnight, but one thing is certain: when fuel costs go up, all costs go up with them. Ocean shipping costs are ballooning due to the rise in the cost of fuel, and trucking companies, which is the most popular form of shipping for U.S.-based companies, have started applying fuel surcharges to offset the rising cost of diesel fuel. Addressing the cost of fuel is one way to offer Californians some immediate relief in the short term as we work on more long-term solutions. We as Californians pay the highest gas prices in the country, due in large part to our high taxes and strict environmental regulations. Much has been made about delaying the automatic 3-cents per gallon gas tax increase coming in July, but there is no guarantee that oil companies would pass those savings on to consumers. In light of California’s $68 billion surplus, the Problem Solvers Caucus in the state legislature has proposed a solution that makes good sense. They propose that California suspend the entire 51-cents per gallon gas tax, replace that lost revenue with General Fund money, and require oil companies to pass on the $9 billion tax savings to motorists. I support this idea, and as your senator I would also support SB 1322 that is currently in committee. This bill asks for transparency and accountability on the part of suppliers and aims to find out why Californians pay so much at the pump. When we know where the money is going, we will have a better understanding of how to alleviate the burden on consumers now and in the future.

RESPONSE 3: Housing prices are essentially driven up by a lack of supply, so if we want to bring down housing costs, we need to build more housing. Regarding my viewpoint on state control vs. local control, I support the state’s approach to the problem of creating affordable housing for low-income Californians by subsidizing the construction of homes through bond funds, tax credits, and other available resources. However, when it comes to the issue of increasing density, I do not agree with the state’s desire to forcibly increase density in pre-established single family neighborhoods. I believe this is an issue of local control, and local jurisdictions know what works best in their communities. From a practical standpoint, adding pressure to our overtaxed public safety and existing infrastructure systems could cause problems down the line that have not been fully vetted. Our existing communities are engineered, built and approved using uniform building codes, uniform fire code, and in some areas the public resources code based on a very specific maximum occupancy level and usage level for that area. Increasing density in those areas will overtax our existing infrastructure, such as the water supply system, sewer system, the electrical grid, Wi-Fi bandwidth, our local city staff and public safety services, not to mention creating additional parking issues. And, speaking from a public safety perspective, putting a home behind a home also puts your first responders in harm’s way when it comes to fire and EMS, especially if you have 5 feet or less property lot lines. It’s very difficult to get personnel, EMS equipment, and/ or fire equipment to an ADU, especially if there is limited access and/or radiant heat involved. Bottom line, allowing up to four dwellings on a lot designed to accommodate one is not a good solution to our housing dilemma.

Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear

RESPONSE 1: Inflation is hurting all families. In the short-term, I support the proposal in the California Legislature to give every taxpayer a $200 stimulus “relief” check to offset the high price of gas and other basic necessities. I also support expanding CalFresh, California’s nutrition assistance program, because I believe no family should ever go hungry. Increased demand for gas as people get back to work, the justified embargo on Russian energy imports, and oil companies exploiting this crisis to take home record-breaking profits are some of the reasons why we’re paying more at the pump. As Congressman Mike Levin said in his recent Times of San Diego op-ed, it comes down to the Three Ps: Pandemic, Putin, and Price Gouging.

While we can’t control the Three Ps, we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels by increasing our investments in renewable energy technologies, which are cheaper and more reliable.

History shows that if we cut taxes for oil companies, they won’t pass the savings onto the consumer. I support policies that will actually put money back into people’s pockets.

RESPONSE 3: Housing affordability is one of the greatest problems facing our state. I will fight to create more housing for people at all income levels, especially people at low- and very-low-income levels. I support mandating that developers build affordable housing units on site and that the affordable units are integrated into the housing project, not segregated.

As mayor, I’ve been working—and succeeding—at providing more housing options, including creating a housing plan that provides for low-income housing, limiting the overall number of homes that can transition from longer-term housing into vacation rentals, streamlining the permit process for ADUs (or granny flats), and ensuring that our planning commissioners follow housing laws.

In 2020, I received the “Ruby Award—No Place Like Home, Outstanding Elected Official” award from the San Diego Housing Federation for successfully passing a compliant housing plan and consistently articulating pro-housing policies in my city. I believe the state should be helping address the housing crisis by building more affordable housing and public housing. We need all levels of government—local, state, and federal—working together to solve the housing crisis.

Small Business Owner Matt Gunderson

RESPONSE 1: It is a disgrace and downright cruel that the powers that be in Sacramento have not addressed the affordability crisis in California. This predates the record rise in inflation and the ongoing aggression by the Russian Federation against a democratic sovereign nation. Taxes are too high. Simple goods like produce, paper products, and meat are much more expensive now than they were a few years ago. In addition, California has had the highest gas prices in the nation long before this recent spike. Not only do we add a 51-cents-per-gallon state tax, but the state also tacks on additional fees that brings up the total tax burden on a gallon of gas in California to $1.18. I fully support the suspension of the gas tax and the repeal of this excessively regressive and absolutely unneeded burden on hard working families in California.

RESPONSE 3: Affordability in California is one of my top priorities. We must, of course, provide more housing opportunities to bring the cost of living down and positively impact the growing homeless epidemic, caused mostly by bad state and local policies. However, we must not sacrifice local control. The state legislature should get rid of laws that override community preferences like SB 9 and 10 and give for-profit developers free rein to build multi-story, multi-unit rental properties in suburban neighborhoods next to single-family homes. The character and safety of our neighborhoods must be protected. I fully believe in local control on all matters, and housing is no exception.

The Story Behind the Little Free Library at Esencia Farm

BY COLLIN BREAUX, THE CAPISTRANO DISPATCH

If you’ve walked by the Esencia Farm in Rancho Mission Viejo, you might have noticed a tiny wooden library full of free books to grab and read— and even been curious about how the mini-library came to be.

As it turns out, the literary resource was the result of a Girl Scout project.

Kelly McNamara—who lives in RMV, down the street from the library—wanted to earn her Silver Award with the Girl Scouts, and thought building a small library for the community would make a good award project.

“I went to (the heads of) RMV and asked them if I could do it. I wanted to promote reading. They said, sure,” said McNamara, who is now 17 and a senior at Tesoro High School. “I like reading. I didn’t get to do enough of it outside of school.”

RMV officials gave her an architecture plan, which McNamara and her grandfather, David Young, then set out on following. McNamara enlisted the help of her grandfather, because they already shared a bond.

His experience with woodworking—a realm McNamara was unversed in before constructing the library—didn’t hurt, either.

“It was natural, because we’re already pretty close,” McNamara said. “He cut everything, and I actually put it together. It was a bonding experience for us.”

The project was finished in 2018, and McNamara still sees people use it “all the time” four years later, when she works at Canyon Coffee, a nearby coffee shop.

“It was a lot of hard work,” McNamara said of the project. “It took a lot of time. We had to get the measurements right.”

When the library opened, McNamara described her reaction as “nonplussed,” because she spent so many nights on bringing it to fruition. As time goes on, though, seeing people casually take out books means “a lot more” to her now.

In fact, McNamara often finds herself organizing the book selection by hand. She has been recognized as the person who created the library while straightening books.

She said the free library is a convenient option for RMV residents—particularly for residents who live in the Gavilan neighborhood, which is geared toward those who are 55 years of age or older.

Along with the adult books, there is also children’s literature. The library in Esencia is one of three little free libraries in RMV. The other two are at the Sendero Farm and The Backyard park. Little free EVENTS AT THE RANCH

MAY 25 Volunteer Trail Cleanup 9-11 a.m. Give back by helping to clear and pick weeds in The Nature Reserve. Volunteers are encouraged to bring work gloves if they have them. Participants must be registered or on the wait by list by Tuesday, May 24, by 4 p.m. The event will start at The Nature Reserve headquarters. thenaturereserve.org.

libraries are popping up throughout the country, and are part of the Little Free Library nonprofit book exchange program.

“This is probably the best place for people to grab a book and hang out at,” McNamara said, in reference to the library’s proximity to Canyon Coffee and the general outdoor space nearby. “A lot of my neighbors have told me they use it. A lot of kids I babysit use it, too.” CD

Bibliophiles can check out the little free libraries in Rancho Mission Viejo, including by Sendero Farm. Photo: Collin Breaux

Kelly McNamara and her grandfather, David Young, are shown here at the opening of a little library they built in 2018 at the Esencia Farm in Rancho Mission Viejo. The tiny library has books people can pick out and read for free. Photo: Courtesy of Rancho Mission Viejo