SLO LIFE Oct/Nov 2020

CITY COUNCIL
JAN MARX
I am running for City Council at the urging of many residents who say the
City needs my help during this unprecedented time of COVID-19, economic
meltdown, climate change, wildfires, and civil unrest. How could I say no?
I love the City of San Luis Obispo and feel called to offer my services.
My first priority is serving present City residents. I am concerned
that the pandemic and economic collapse have placed residents under
tremendous stress. Our residents deserve City Council members who
listen to their concerns and take action to protect their quality of life.
Future planning is important, but serving those, who might someday live
here, must not overshadow Council’s duty to protect the health, safety,
and wellbeing of people who live here now.
I will provide public-spirited, effective, and experienced leadership.
Building on my proven track record—six years as Mayor and six on
Council—I will continue to help solve difficult problems and get good
things done for the community. I am committed to improving diversity,
inclusivity, and public safety with the creation of a new citizen Police
Accountability committee. I support all-age alternate transportation,
workforce and affordable housing and our Climate Action Plan. I will
continue to fight for preservation of our precious resources: natural,
fiscal, historical, and environmental, including open space.
I have what it takes to lead us through these challenging times, just
as I did through the 2008 Great Recession: 1) the experience, social
consciousness and collaborative skill to work with people from all
different backgrounds; 2) the business savvy to make sound decisions
based on prudent budgeting, efficiency and accountability; and 3)
integrity, civility and respect for everyone, without playing favorites.
The new Council’s first order of business should be curbing the virus to
get the economy back on track. I will advocate required mask wearing in
public and work with all sectors to update SLO’s Economic Development
Strategic Plan. I encourage local hiring, so salaries are spent locally. I
will advocate expansion of highspeed broadband, storage batteries and
microgrids to make us a more resilient entrepreneurial center. The City
must do all it can to protect residents against blackouts, given increasing
dependence on air conditioning and the internet.
To learn more about my take on the issues, past achievements, and vision
for the City’s future, please visit my website, janmarx.com or Facebook.
Working hard and working together, we can create a thriving, sustainable
and secure post pandemic future for our City! I would appreciate your vote.
Jan Marx for City Council 2020!
CITY COUNCIL
JAMES PAPP
No sane person runs for office—unless you have a fire in your belly that the
cold shower of putting yourself in front of voters can’t quench. I happily
served on SLO’s Cultural Heritage Committee for five years, analyzing
a two-and-a-half-foot pile of development proposals and environmental
studies, but I decided to run for City Council a year ago when the Council
wanted to ban memorials to people because “people are flawed.”
The Council didn’t ask the CHC’s advice, because we would have said
it was a goofy idea. For thousands of years people have memorializing
people. People inspire us to be our best, however flawed: hence SLO’s
9/11 memorial, with 403 upstanding rods for the 403 emergency workers
who sacrificed their lives when their best demanded it of them. No
town’s ever suggested banning monuments to people; we would have
been a laughingstock. But the Council and senior staff were so intent on
“Council unity” they went charging ahead—until dozens of SLO citizens
charged back.
This situation arises when elected representatives get out of touch with
the people they represent. There’s a structural reason. SLO has a “weak
mayor” system; the city manager is basically our CEO and the Council
the oversight board. Only a rare individual like Ken Schwartz—who had
eight years on Planning Commission, then 10 as mayor—can take the bit
in their teeth and bring substantial change.
Our council doesn’t have anyone with that experience, vision, and drive.
The city manager calls the shots and allows symbolic accomplishments;
in return, Council doesn’t ask awkward questions. Like why Monterey’s
city hall overhead is 10% of that city’s operating budget and San
Luis Obispo’s is 19%. Why SLO’s Police Department budget is,
proportionately, a fifth more than Monterey’s but our Parks Department
budget barely a third the size.
SLO’s budgets have gotten way out of whack with comparable cities. So
have our government values. Decades of Councils have condemned our
last working-class neighborhoods to be replaced by expensive condos.
That’s something our preservationists and affordable housing advocates
can have common cause on.
The Council recently declared a car-free, carbon-neutral future–then
approved a massive new parking garage. Since then, 5,500 square miles
of California have burned, and Cal Poly’s reached a Death Valley high of
120F. In these times, symbolism doesn’t cut it.
OCT/NOV 2020 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | 73