Vote YES for Esther!

By Esther Christina Sanchez

12 years ago, you elected me to the Oceanside City Council. I pledged to be your voice and to work diligently and passionately for a better quality of life for all Oceanside residents.

I pledged to be your voice and to work diligently and passionately for a better quality of life for all Oceanside residents.

Public safety was your highest concern.

Through neighborhood policing, competitive salaries, increased staffing, regionalization of fire services, the opening of two fire stations, the creation of a citizen's anti-gang initiative,

...our goal of a 5 minute response time has become a reality, and we are now enjoying one of the lowest crime rates in 34 years!

We've had our share of tragedies, including the loss of two of our finest officers, Officer Tony Zapatella and Officer Dan Bessant; and this year, we have seen a spike in crime.

In their memories and in memory of their families, I continue to be committed to making you safe.

My commitment has earned me the respect and support of the Oceanside Police Officers, Oceanside Firefighters, and Peace Officers Research Association of California.

I am very, very proud of the professional and courageous men and women who make up our city's public safety first-responders.

As your council member, I have vigorously addressed issues that concerned you.

I brought forward a proposal for a second senior center that would meet the critical needs of our senior residents in Oceana, Costa Serena, Peacock Hills, Ocean Hills, mobile home parks and others.

... El Corazon Senior Center opened spring of 2009!

I brought the community together for a compromise on our luxury beach resort. It has spurred on economic growth and investment in our downtown area for years to come.

... The Wyndham on Pacific Street was completed in 2008.

I have worked to build Cesar Chavez Park, Mance Buchanan Park, Luiseno Park, Oceanside Dog Park, skate parks, lights and improvements at our existing parks, chosen an airport operator, 20 soccer fields at El Corazon to be graded next year; Oceanside Boulevard visioning process; visioning process for the Coast Highway corridor; the 90 acre Pavilion shopping center at the drive-in theater site; Oceanside Museum of Art and California Surf Museum expansions and improvements; an anti-gang task force, and worked to address our traffic issues.

I brought over $24 million to Oceanside through municipal contracts and am currently working on getting over $100 million in infrastructure improvements and jobs.

Our new hotels are generating substantial new revenues to our city. The Marriott Courtyard alone creates $400,000 in TOT a year!

I am committed to making Oceanside a destination city and bicycle friendly community with more hotels and a vibrant, walkable downtown and Coast Highway.

I am committed to bringing agri-tourism to our agricultural community in S. Morro Hills, like vineyards and wineries, instead of very costly higher density residential; high density residential will require building a new sewage treatment plant and extremely expensive infrastructure, resulting in tripling fees and taxes for Oceanside rate payers.

I also want to continue addressing our pension issues. Recently, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association congratulated us on our new employee contract with our firefighters.

Throughout my service to you, I have been fiscally responsible, ensuring a balanced budget and no new taxes.

We have our challenges.

These past 2 years have especially been difficult ones for our citizens.

With Proposition E, we've seen a council of 3 go after over 4,000 seniors and veterans, homeowners in mobile home parks, even though it made no economic sense. With this majority, we're one year away from privatizing ambulance services, the Oceanside Public Library, and closing additional parks, to name a few.

They've closed Jeffries Ranch Road, are spending millions of dollars on road projects that cannot be built, and are planning to take the homes of 14 property owners by force through Eminent Domain.

The majority has converted over 75 acres of commercial property into high-density residential, causing more congestion, a greater need for services, lowering property values, and lowering the jobs to residents ratio -- the lowest in the county, a blow to our economic development. Oceanside Taxpayers are now subsidizing new development. This is in effect a tax on you!

This is a critical election for our city.

With this election we have a chance to turn our city around. We have a chance to return city hall back to the people, and away from special interests.

By electing Mayor Jim Wood, Dana Corso, and me to the city council, we will bring unity and economic development and your quality of life back to Oceanside.

It is time for a change!

Together, we will serve YOU, preserving neighborhoods and the environment and creating economic development and responsible growth.

I ask for your vote.

Please, vote YES for Mayor Jim Wood, Dana Corso, and me for Oceanside City Council.

Together we will make the dream of a better Oceanside come true!

Vote YES for Oceanside's future!

Thank you.