On the Issues

Public safety is one of the most fundamental and essential functions of local government. During the budget process, our police and fire departments budgets should always be the first thing funded and the last thing to be cut. Particularly given the profession-wide issues with recruitment and retention we are seeing, I will support additional incentives to recruit well-qualified officers, firefighters, and dispatchers to Torrance. The effectiveness of our public safety departments should be measured based on the response times when a personal, neighborhood or business emergency arises.

I support action to address homelessness in our neighborhoods to keep them safe and clean—while seeking new, viable housing options for those who struggle with homelessness due to unforeseen hardships, mental illness, or addiction. Homelessness can't be solved with just new housing and it can't be solved with just social services. We need to be investing in holistic solutions that first get people off the streets and then treat the underlying issues that got them there in the first place.

City Hall can play an important role in making our community a great place to work and thrive. As a City Councilmember, I will advocate for lower taxes and fiscal accountability to support local small businesses and residents, while seeking to streamline regulatory obstacles faced by prospective new business owners. City Hall should function as a resource, not a regulator, to help entrepreneurs start new businesses and support existing businesses as they grow and thrive.

I support efforts now underway to upgrade and beautify our 33 City parks. Our neighborhood parks provide places for children to play, adults to exercise, and athletic teams to compete. Nearly all of our community parks were built in the late 1950s/early 1960s, and many need infrastructure improvements. Parks improve quality of life and lift property values—making them a sound and essential investment for our City.