The word hope itself is used too often. Of course people have hope that things will change for the better, that their loved ones will remain safe, or that they win the lottery. But, without action, hope is just an empty word that people throw around like empty wishes. There is a phrase that I use at work "hope is not a management tool. Make a plan and work to that plan". Hope can only truly be achieved if it is built on a foundation of works and faith. The works (like the plan I refer to the above statement) is effort and planning to ensure things will happen the way you desire it. The faith is that the people you talk with and trust to fulfill certain roles will succeed. Faith also means that your plan is the one that will bring about a positive change and that God agrees and will remove the road blocks that are in your path. When everyone is onboard with the first quote, I have an addition that I like to throw in "Hope is not a management tool, but prayer can be effective". Why this diatribe on "Hope" you may ask? It is because during my first campaign and still today I hear a resounding statement of; I hope that the leadership in El Cajon will change, I hope things will get better for El Cajon, I hope we get more consumers in El Cajon, I hope El Cajon becomes a better city. Whether it be business, recreational, residential, public safety, or just quality of life that the El Cajon resident are hoping to make better they must take action to make it happen. The current leadership (Mayor and city council) have been around for quite a while. In order to fulfill that hope, the residents must be willing to go to the polls to make that change. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. The Mayor and one council member remain in place for another four year thanks to the apathy of the last election. But, there are three council seats open in 2012 that can have a huge impact on redirecting the focus of where El Cajon is heading and how quickly it gets there. Make your vote count in 2012 and have real Hope for El Cajon's future.

Man how many times do you come out to enjoy the fresh air and realize something smells like rotting garbage? Well that's exactly what it is as the waste management plant located on Bradley Avenue rotates, disposes, moves, or what ever else they do with all that garbage they store in their facility prior to taking it to a landfill or recycling. I understand the city has a long term and exclusive deal with waste management but they need to do something to reduce the smell. I don't want El Cajon smelling like a landfill. The current deal with waste management may have been the best option at the time it was proposed but as a good corporate citizen I believe there should be a larger effort to reduce the smell.

What is everyone's take on the redevelopment plan? In my opinion, it is a bit too much show and not enough substance. There is not enough detailed information on how to deal with the city's real issues, which are, generating revenue for the city by getting more businesses and consumers into El Cajon. Nor, does it address helping the residents achieve higher economic standing. El Cajon has the highest poverty level in the county. How are we going to change that? There are a lot of good ideas for the beautification of El Cajon's downtown which is "nice" but what about the other areas of the city? There are plans to widen sidewalks and increase bike lanes but do we really think this going to bring consumers to the downtown area? After all, are there enough bike riders and walkers to sustain local businesses every day? I still don't see any new ideas to address the East County Performing Arts Center. I believe we should be focus on recruiting businesses that are unique to El Cajon, high tech companies that would provide higher paying jobs to the residents, and educational opportunities for residents to improve there skill set. To build a better city we must first improve it's foundation.

OK I decided to put up a blog for my comments on El Cajon. I can answer question sent to me. I will comment on current politics and events in El Cajon. As you can see I plan to run for city council in 2012. I ran unsuccesfully in 2010. I finished 2nd to Gary Kendrick. It was a great experienced and I learned a lot that I will put to use in 2012.