WHY AM I RUNNING?

"What counts now is not just what we are against, but what we are for. Who leads us is less important than what leads us — what convictions, what courage, what faith — win or lose." - Adlai Stevenson

I want to do something different in my campaign for City Council. The advice candidates are usually getting from their campaign consultants are to state nothing but vague platitudes. I think you deserve more than that. I believe that my running must be defined by talking sense to the people of Carlsbad and telling them the truth. Our community is on the eve of some great decisions, and they will not be easy decisions. I seek the office to add new ideas to the conversations we have had for a very long time, and those we must have together very soon. 

It is true, I am a proud Progressive! The entire Democratic Party seems to have latched on to this concept and it is becoming so widely used it has become a synonym for “Liberal”. I first read a definition of Progressive almost 20 years ago, and it was an “Aha!” moment for me, a realization that my personal philosophy is shared with others and that there is a movement I could be a part of, which would work toward the good of all. I don’t remember that old definition, but here is what it means to me today.

Progressivism is a resistance to income inequality and social inequality. Progressives have a commitment to “Government of the people, by the people, and for the people”. Public policy must support the American Dream that we were raised to believe in: it needs to be possible for a poor child growing up in any part of the country to get a good education, get a good job, and rise to the top of any field. I and many of my fellow progressives consider ourselves fiscal conservatives. 

We are deeply troubled by the influence of money on politics, and by the corporate welfare that we see infesting issues including public safety, foreign policy, healthcare, and education. We rebel against “machine politics”, where political leaders of either party are more concerned with cementing their own power than with good public policy. True progressives never put party over country. People must come first, and partisan politics is just a means to an end, with the goal of enabling a better world for all.

I am running for Carlsbad City Council because I believe we need representatives at every level of government with intelligence, integrity, and political courage. Political courage means we need to tell the truth and do what is right and be willing to risk losing friends, supporters, and campaigns if necessary. Senator Jeff Flake recently requested further FBI investigation of Judge Kavanaugh, but he stated afterward that it would not have been possible if he were running for re-election. That is a problem! Voters must reward integrity, even if they do not agree on a particular issue. 

While canvassing, I recently spent an hour in a driveway, debating immigration and abortion with a Trump supporter. We were able to converse respectfully, using a common Christian background, though our perspectives were nearly opposite. In the end, he told me he would probably vote for me, partly because I was willing to tell him the truth about my positions even while knowing it would probably cost me a vote. 

I do care deeply about refugees and especially about innocent children. I believe health care for all is both humane and affordable when corporate influences are taken out of the equation. Many Carlsbad issues are not partisan; most of us care about the health of the ocean and our wetlands, about safe streets, minimizing traffic congestion, responsible fiscal management, and about putting residents’ quality of life before developer profits.

In 2015, billionaire Rick Caruso began wooing Carlsbad leaders and citizens, to develop a consensus around a new mall to be built on the Agua Hedionda Lagoon. In many people’s minds, it became a battle for social justice. The developer made the mistake of claiming publicly that “all of the people who matter” supported his plan. In the end, after two opposing signature drives forced a vote on the measure, the developer outspent the citizens' group by about 100 to 1, in the highest-turnout special election in San Diego County’s history, and the most expensive. The proposal was narrowly defeated, leaving a polarized city. 

I am the only candidate in my race who publicly worked to defeat the mall, canvassing voters, speaking before city council and speaking on TV. However, I do not believe this single issue should continue to divide Carlsbad, and I am advocating collaboration on future issues, rather than continued demonization of the opposing side.

I am the only candidate in my race who has spoken repeatedly before City Council on current issues. I spoke to both Carlsbad and Oceanside City Councils in favor of by-district elections, because they empower underserved communities, and also because they decrease the cost of running for election and enable residents to interact directly with their representative. 

I spoke before City Councils in both Carlsbad and Vista and on TV in support of the California Values Act, SB54. I researched public records behind a proposal to put a distillery next to the Boys and Girls Club in Carlsbad’s historic Barrio, spoke on TV News, and prepared an extended presentation for City Council which helped to eventually stop the project.  As you can see, I'm not afraid to fight for what I believe in: 

I am proud to have the endorsements of the San Diego Progressive Democratic Club and the San Diego Democrats for Equality. I enthusiastically endorse and support the campaigns of Elizabeth Warren and Marggie Castellano, and I join them in being an “unbought” candidate who does not take corporate contributions. Marggie, Elizabeth and I were elected delegates to the California Democratic Party on a progressive slate, along with Carlsbad City Council member Cori Schumacher. Unfortunately, Cori has chosen to endorse a candidate in my race who, according to ROV records, was a registered Republican until July, and who did not choose to vote in the June primary or in 5 of the last 11 elections. I have voted in every election since 1980. 

Before the June primary, I volunteered in the congressional campaign of Doug Applegate, and I am proud to have his endorsement, in addition to the endorsement of progressive powerhouse James Elia. Until recently, I was chair of the North Chapter of the San Diego Progressive Democratic Club. With a background as an engineer, project manager, and small business owner, I am well prepared to represent diverse constituents and to collaborate with anyone. 

I do believe strongly that we progressives must reclaim the label of patriotism, since our populist commitment to good government is in the best tradition of our country. I also believe that Carlsbad needs a Council made up of people able to vote on the merits of issues, rather than belonging to a slate that aims to replace 4-1 for one team with 4-1 for the other.  

I believe Carlsbad deserves a new choice based on its old values.  We can build a community that works for everyone, based on collaboration and respectful communication. The choice I offer is not conservative or liberal. In many ways, it is not even Republican or Democratic. It is different, and it will work because it is rooted in the vision and the values of the same "Carlsbad Way" I've known since I was a little girl.

LINDA