Trending

Advertisement

Elected officials discuss issues, focuses for 2016

Share

From library expansions to providing better care to the mentally ill in order to increase public safety, county, state and federal elected officials have a diverse list of issues they plan to tackle in 2016.

At the county level, Supervisors Dave Roberts, who represents Rancho Bernardo and 4S Ranch, and Dianne Jacob, who represents Poway, both listed library expansions.

Roberts said he is working with members of the 4S Ranch community and San Diego County Library officials to expand the heavily-used 4S Ranch library branch.

Jacob said the major remodeling at the Poway Library (also a county branch) will soon conclude. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. The remodel includes new carpeting, lighting and a computer lab, all done in partnership with the City of Poway.

Jacob will lead a special forum for seniors and caregivers on how to avoid scammers this spring at the Poway Senior Center. Also participating will be sheriff’s department and district attorney’s office representatives.

Other county projects and issues Jacob will be involved with include an expansion of the Iron Mountain trail head parking lot and the county’s work with the City of Poway to connect the area’s network of hiking and equestrian trails. Officials are seeking grant money and other funds to buy up to 800 acres of open space near Iron Mountain.

Also mentioned was the county soon breaking ground on a new state-of-the-art crime lab in Kearny Mesa that will serve the region, the development of plans for a regional firefighter training center and Jacob’s continued efforts to protect the health and safety of seniors by stepping up county oversight of assisted living facilities and through the work of The Alzheimer’s Project. It is a county-led initiative aimed at finding a cure for the disease and addressing its devastating impact on families.

As for other county projects Roberts is focused on, they include driving efforts to expand mental health services and invigorating the economy by opening a regional film office to encourage and expand motion picture production.

He also mentioned continued efforts to save Webb Lake in Rancho Bernardo, for which county supervisors unanimously approved in November a $45,000 Neighborhood Reinvestment Program grant to drill a well for the lake.

At the state level, Assemblyman Brian Maienschein said his stated focus for 2016 is to continue helping the vulnerable in California, making government more transparent and making the state a better place for students and small business.

“Since my election to the Assembly, I have focused on addressing many issues, including education, jobs, homelessness, mental health and animal welfare,” he said. “In 2016, I will continue working on legislation to protect our communities.”

Examples include Assembly Bill 861, a pilot project to support housing for individuals with severe mental illness through a federal grant program, and Assembly Bill 317, allowing veterinarians from outside of California to set up temporary animal shelter facilities during a state of emergency. He also will work on a bill to increase government transparency.

“Rather than creating new mandates for local governments, the state should encourage innovation and use of the Internet to keep the public informed,” Maienschein said.

Regarding education and small business issues, he wants a sales tax holiday on Small Business Saturday and reforms to ensure good teachers have the resources they need to create positive learning environments.

“Congress has long been broken, and I went to Washington, D.C. with the intention of fixing it while advocating for the priorities that matter most to San Diego,” said Rep. Scott Peters. “There is a lot of work to do still, but this past year I was part of getting real things done that will help San Diego as well as increase the chance for bipartisan compromise in 2016 on issues like adequate funding to defeat terrorism and comprehensive tax reform.”

Peters said the spending bill he helped pass this month will increase the defense budget by $21 billion, more responsibly fund wildfire fighting and make crucial investments in renewable energy and research that will grow the economy and create high-quality jobs in San Diego.

“In addition to funding the right priorities for national security and the San Diego economy, I want to ensure (people) get the full benefits they’ve earned through a lifetime of hard work,” Peters said, adding his efforts included helping Congress pass a long-term fix to Medicare payments to doctors to ensure Medicare remains solvent for seniors. “Moving forward I will continue to work to strengthen Medicare and Social Security, and to rally support for the Older Americans Act, which will provide long-term funding for programs that support our seniors.”

Peters said in the wake of more mass shootings and the San Bernardino attack, it is imperative Congress be forward thinking to keep communities safe.

“This means giving our military leaders the resources they need to defeat the emerging new threats of terrorism and to improve intelligence sharing,” he said. “I also will not give up on trying to pass common sense legislation that will expand background checks and keep firearms out of the hands of criminals, domestic abusers, terrorists and the dangerously mentally ill.”

Advertisement