Paul McNamara

Greetings Fellow EDC Democrats!

As I’m sure you’ve read, the Escondido City Council passed the hotel resolutions at the June 30th meeting. For those of us who attended, it was a disappointment. Aside from what many of us in the club believe was a poor management decision of taxpayer revenue resources, the CC opted to vote with the Chamber of Commerce.

Despite the vote, there were three high points to this issue. First, the NCT editorial board that originally supported it, thought it should be delayed. That is significant because, they serve as the neutral but informed observer. Second, the hotel was opposed by not only Escondido residents but by several Escondido organizations. Third, we can be proud of Olga Diaz and Lisa Prazeau. Olga represented us with a thoroughness of detail and research that made the others pale in comparison. She is what one hopes for in a representative. Lisa demonstrated a dedication that is unparalleled. Her counterpoint brief exposed all the holes in the hotel issue and was simply superbly put together. We are lucky to have both of them working for us.

In short, the city needs a hotel but it needs to be a good business deal and this simply wasn’t. In an almost blind zeal for that objective, the CC has put all our money on one foolish roll of the dice. The CC vote clearly showed that with the exception of Olga, they do not do their homework and serve a limited audience. If we are to preserve those qualities that make Escondido the city of choice, we need to elect CC members who serve all the people.

So despite this setback, we must take the long view and continue our dedication to enact change. We have three members of the club running for CC. They need your support. Please do your own research as to which ones would best serve you and then support them.

Finally, at the club level, in fulfillment of one of our annual goals, we have created a Director of Labor Outreach whose purpose is to connect with Labor organizations that share a common goal. Mike O’Connor, a longtime Escondido firefighter, has volunteered for that position. Additionally, we have initiated an E-Board outreach program to find common goals with other Escondido organizations. If we are to effect change, we must organize.

Escondido is a wonderful city to live in. It deserves our participation in its stewardship. We will have only ourselves to blame if the city we chose to move to is no longer the city we want to live in.

Let’s continue to turn North County from red to blue. Vote!!!

Respectfully,

Paul McNamara, President