Issues
Housing
San Rafael needs to add more affordable housing to remedy a desperate situation that we are facing now.
We seek every possible avenue to add more housing to our inventory so more families can be accommodated soon.
Below market price strategy is preferred.
Homelessness and Hunger
San Rafael is a major contributor to the organization St Vincent DePaul of California, and the donations to them are used to handle the homelessness and hunger problems. They have housed a high number (32% so far) of these individuals in recent years.
When I get elected I plan to expand the program with a residency waiting list, vetting process to check the background of applicants, consider available capacity for accommodation, and encourage good behavior with incentives. After helping them stabilize their life, I want eventually help them become part of the local work force.
I also plan to tackle untreated mental health, and substance abuse challenges, by energetically applying for new funding that is available to cities from the State of California.
Homelessness Prevention Plan
We will create an extensive homelessness prevention plan that aims to hear local people first hand whenever they start seeing a potential problem arising from any unfortunate situation in life, and connect them with resources to help them handle it before it gets any further to become a major deal.
Law enforcement and their duty in San Rafael
Policing a smart community is a huge task but must be done with love, compassion, respect.
Exuberant amounts have been directed towards programs that may not be fit for the community, and the end results have been disastrous.
I want our police department to look at themselves as a peace maker department, and live truly to its fullest meaning, so our community will give their love back to them.
I will ask the police department to create a program that enhances child safety around the schools.
Storefront Business Vacancy
Business vacancy particularly in downtown area has created a bad image.
Business people either left for the next town or decided to close entirely for now.
I want to bring people back to the street so every business benefits from more shoppers, and the city of San Rafael gets its share of very needed Sales tax and related business set up fees.
I prefer to welcome change and have the discipline and plan to deal with it.
Gallery Vacant Offices and Empty Storefronts on 4th Street in City of San Rafael
Office Building Vacancy
Office building, and industrial, empty spaces in San Rafael have created a huge income drain on the city, and is dangerous to the city budget, and gives the city a bad image.
Business people either left for the next town or decided to close entirely for now.
I want to bring businesses back and people to the streets so every business benefits from shoppers and the city of San Rafael gets its share of very needed sales tax revenue and related business setup fees.
Solving The Vacancy Issues And Creating A Solid Tax Base
I prefer to welcome change and have the discipline and plan to deal with it.
Every city benefits in two ways from encouraging business growth:
- Businesses need to apply for licenses, and other related items, to open shops.
- Businesses collect sales taxes from transactions, and the city gets its share.
Currently, the the growing vacancy rate is causing the City of San Rafael to lose revenue on both of those fronts, and it is getting worse.
Any mayor that can’t improve the city finances should be out voluntarily.
Zero Waste Zero Emission San Rafael
We encourage our residents to comply thru periodic updated publication, and gatherings, to learn more about the problem and actual implementation of the law in action.
A source reduction of waste and responsible compost management of solid and hazardous material is our major plan to accomplish.
We can also drive electrical vehicle(EV) to maintain our clean air now.
Zero waste Marin!
Encourage Intergenerational Solutions In San Rafael
I will promote interaction between the different generations in San Rafael, such as boomers, millennials, and Gen-Z, to unlock their imagination and creativity in help solve issues in San Rafael.
Emphasis on Protections For The Aging and Disabled
I will continue the cities efforts to improve accessibility to all businesses and government functions to make sure they are accessible for the aged in San Rafael.
Encourage Additional Community Support of the organization Guide Dogs for The Blind
Hundreds of people work with this organization to train pups and graduate guide dogs. The Guide Dogs organization, and the friendliness the community shows their dogs and handlers, is a shinning example of how the community of San Rafael enables them to accomplish so much good for humanity. I will help show other organizations that, if they locate in San Rafael, our forward thinking can help them achieve their missions also.
