1. Solving San Diego's Financial Problems is No Simple Matter.

Get an Investment Grade Bond Rating. We have made some progress, but there is more hard work ahead to restore our city's credit-worthiness. The City Council needs council members with significant financial experience to help lead the effort to get an investment grade bond rating and insure long-term financial health. Marshall is the only candidate for City Council with municipal finance experience.

Refinance the city's outstanding debt to reduce interest costs. With an investment grade bond rating, we can refinance the city's debt at lower municipal interest rates, saving the city millions of dollars of interest costs each year.

Continue to implement the Kroll Report recommendations. The Kroll Report is an independent review of our city government's financial challenges. Is is the blueprint for reform in San Diego, and we need to work hard to implement those recommendations, including changes to the City's accounting and financial management systems, pension benefit reform, and charter reform.

Implement managed competition. Managed competition has been effectively implemented in cities across the US. It will increase the productivity of city services and some services will be outsourced, improving services and saving the city millions of dollars over time.

2. San Diego Neighborhoods Have Local Issues that Require an Advocate at City Hall.

Respect local planning groups. San Diego planning process works only when the City Council follows the rules. Community planning groups are an integral part of that process. Marshall is an advocate for community input to preserve the character and quality of life in our neighborhoods.

The Regents Road Bridge

Approval of the Regents Road Bridge

Rose Canyon is a beautiful canyon and has been treated as a preserve. I understand the passion among those who oppose the bridge in favor of preserving the canyon permanently. However, the community plan has always included a connector bridge and development in North University City was predicated on its eventual completion. The extensive development in North University City, including Westfield, UCSD and Scripps Hospital demands a Regional Infrastructure Plan to mitigate unacceptable traffic congestion as a result of these development projects. To eliminate the bridge from that study is not responsible to the needs of the entire area.

Westfield Shopping Center Expansion / UCSD Expansion

Managing Growth and Mitigating Traffic

UCSD is underway on 8 million square feet of development and Westfield has initially proposed $900 million expansion, the largest commercial development project in San Diego’s history. There is no question that traffic will be THE quality of life issue for North and South University City. Residents of University City need representation on the City Council who will advocate for Smart Growth. Marshall Merrifield will insist that a Regional Infrastructure Plan be developed to reduce the negative effect that significant development and traffic will have on the University City Community. All development projects must be considered as part of the overall community plan and developers must help solve traffic problems before projects are approved.

La Jolla Children's Pool and the Seals

The City of San Diego Must Uphold the Law

In November 2007, the Supreme Court of California upheld a lower Court of Appeals ruling that requires the City to dredge the Children’s Pool and maintain the cove as a swimming beach for children, as intended by the 1931 Grant of Tidelands to the City of San Diego. I am not in support of “Shared Use” (a term used to describe the segregation of a portion of the cove for purposes other than swimming) because it is not in compliance with the court ruling. I believe we need to uphold the decision of the Supreme Court of California and humanely relocate the seals. We are obligated to follow the law and honor the decision of the court.
Other links: http://childrenspool.org/

No Paid Parking in La Jolla

Paid parking amounts to imposing a tax on the citizens of La Jolla

There may be a parking problem in the village of La Jolla, but there are far more creative solutions other than parking meters. The City of San Diego has not demonstrated responsibility with the tax dollars they do collect. I see no reason to increase those coffers to solve a parking problem that can be solved by other means. I oppose paid parking in the village of La Jolla.

Crime in District One

Marshall is deeply committed to public safety and increased police resources in District 1. For 20 years, Marshall has been the CEO of a national security business and is very knowledgeable and committed to the security needs of our community.

Public safety and police protection are directly related to the financial health of the City. It is critical that we solve the City’s budget crisis by lowering its cost of debt and implementing managed competition for City services. By lowering the City’s interest costs, more resources will be available for public safety, including police and fire protection.

As was reported recently, the majority of local crime is related to drug use and juvenile crime. Additional money must be applied to police staffing at each major high school, increased truancy prevention and enforcement, juvenile drug prevention efforts and enforcement, curfew enforcement at the shopping centers, and increased patrols. These are all specific ways that police resources can reduce crime in our neighborhood, and Marshall will focus on these for District 1 as our City Councilman.

At the heart of the matter, the City's financial problems must be solved, and Marshall is the only candidate for City Council that has the experience in business AND municipal finance to lead the City out of its current budget deficit.

I-5 / SR 56 Connector

It is inconceivable to me that the City would even consider support of a “Flyover Connector” if it means taking homes of residents by imminent domain. The Connector as proposed by CalTrans is expensive and does not respect the rights of property owners in District One. Furthermore, promises made to build noise protection for homeowners need to be kept. There are alternatives to traffic congestion on surface streets in that area. We must find a way to solve these problems without taking homes. I have signed the STOP5Noise pledge and will support the community in its opposition to the flyover connector as proposed by CalTrans.
Other links:
www.stop5noise.org,
http://www.sandiego.gov/5_56freewayconnectors/

The Arts and Restoration of Balboa Park

The city’s top priority is the urgent need for fiscal and government reform at City Hall. Regional economic development, infrastructure development, and high quality of life standards are the long-term goals. The city’s operating dysfunction currently is a major obstacle. Art and Culture is at the heart of a high quality of life standard. Some of my long term goals in that respect are continual renovations of the spaces already established and well known as arts and culture centers. The Balboa Theatre is an ideal example of how the city is able to work together to renovate an important art center. Appropriately marketing the Balboa Theatre and other arts around San Diego will be crucial to promoting San Diego as a cultural destination. The promotion of the Balboa Park 2015 Centennial will be a significant opportunity to attract national and international guests. This is an opportunity for San Diego’s citizens to recommit themselves to making Balboa Park and its institutions financially stable so it can be sustained into the future. Also, by showcasing Balboa Park through a national campaign, we can reclaim some sense of civic pride about America’s Finest City.