Santa Barbara Noozhawk Cruzito Cruz Candidate's Answer in 13

By Cruzito Herrera Cruz

Cruzito Herrera Cruz candidate's response to Noozhawk questions.

The SBPD has 207 authorized positions or city employees and are fully hired is a strength. The weakness is that the SBPD personnel has not prevented crimes or lessen the incidents of violence from happening with a fully-staff officer personnel. Thus, dis-proving the political argument that we, City of Santa Barbara, need police power and laws-of-arrest under the California Penal Codes to deal with our local community issues of youth violence, crime, and citizen's-without-home; but instead, our public focus-in-action and City of Santa Barbara position should be were local government and SB community-based-organizations and local stakeholders align social services under Health and Safety Codes standards and Community Development Block Grants and Human Services. The Health and Safety Code laws deal and cure the affects of poverty, non-education (under California Education Codes) development, lack of low-income or affordable housing in SB, Westside and Eastside Districts live in blighted areas that need economic and physical development (H & S Section 33,030 & H & S Section 33031), lack of public services and improvements of the public's infrastructure in these ignored districts in the City of Santa Barbara need serious attention. There should be a Civil Review Commission established for public oversight of SBPD agency. The current salary of the SBPD is 33% of the General Fund. The proposed SBPD agency taxpayer total department expenditures for FY 2014 is $37,601,927.00 USA Dollars.
The SBFD has 106 authorized positions or city employees. The public protection of Santa Barbara from fire, natural and person-made accidents, and emergency incidents has without exception been of high standard and public quality that deserves acknowledgment. The SBFD has 110 authorized positions or city employees and the SBFD personnel is currently under-hired. This is a weakness for our city's fire prevention safety modes of services. We need more firefighters and diversity within SBFD. The strength is that the SBFD has ensured the past and current fire safety of Santa Barbara but the weakness is the City of Santa Barbara needs to recruit and train more firefighter personnel to off-set the personnel who has reached the retirement-age. The current salary of the SBFD of 20% of the General Fund. The proposed SBFD for FY 2014 is $22,553,615.00 USA Dollars.
The overall strength is both departments (SBPD and SBFD) partake in 53% plus of the General Fund of the City's of Santa Barbara Operating and Capital Budget. These are unrestricted funds that could go for citizenry or youth services. The weakness is the CalPERS future cost and financial commitments with ex-city employees, the unfunded liability to CalPERS pension cost, continued labor negotiation for future salary increases, and continued increases in health insurance costs have a serious financial effect to other operations of city's service components. When both department in overwhelming percentage of 53+% the City's unrestricted funds and future pension cost, this because problematic financial when want to deal with Human services and Public Infrastructure. This is why I am a City Council Candidate to Increase Adult and Youth Services, Improve Public Infrastructure, and to be a public steward that holds the City and staff to be prudent and fiscally responsible in spending and generating Santa Barbarians taxpayer's wealth for all of Santa Barbarians benefit and enjoyment. Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz! I am #6 on the Mail-Ballot-Election. Thank you Noozhawk and it's Readers for your vote on November 05th, 2013.

- Do you support the city's efforts to pass a gang injunction? What strategies would you pursue to deal with the issues of gang violence and systematic recruitment?

As a councilmember candidate in 2011 and 2013, I, Cruzito Herrera Cruz, am constitutionally and legally against such civil matter of "Complaint For Injunctive Relief To Abate A Public Nuisance" (Superior Case No.: #1379826). Today, I continue to oppose this civil matter as a citizen and do not believe our local economy should be dependent on this judicial-police-city-attorney social measure. This social measure tramples on legal principles of the Equal Protection Clause of the XIV Amendment, the right to Assembly, the right to petition the [local] Government for Grievances, the right to be secure and at peace-in-person from unreasonable search and seizure, to be at peace-in-house, and, to be at peace-in-the-Eastside or Westside districts. Stop the racial discrimination against Chicanitos or young Americanito children. Therefore our City has raised the complex legal problem by "denying to any person [young brown chicanitos] within the jurisdiction [Santa Barbara] the equal protection of the laws" [Federalism trumps City Charter laws], so be it that our elected local Mayor and Council members have taken an oath and pledge to equal protection guarantee or have they under our Constitution?
The only focused strategy and public rational is the "empowerment model" through social service education and new programs to work with, to help with, and to promote services for all Santa Barbarians. The educational and entrepreneurial/job related skills needs to be established and operated by our City to counter proactively the issues of youth violence, crime, and the pressures of non-economic development in these districts of the Eastside and Westside of Santa Barbara. Our youth that are categorized and systemically tapped into the police-DA-probationary-incarceration-judicial model of being "G-Related or Associate", needs to have some guarantee and services that give options to walk the walk of hope and change. For this mere reason, the City needs the positive social service safety that captures young Santa Barbarians when they fall prey to negative pressures and or falldown because of dumb choices! We need to have create something in place that could work because at this moment we have nothing that is effectively working. These choices youth make in life should not dictate nor be the fate of their adult life. For the potential each person can be mature and responsible and a productive young men in the Community of Santa Barbara is what we all want. But, we as adults have to be optimistic and believe youth individual(s) can become stronger and wiser and nicer and smarter and more beautiful with eachother if given the public chance. We change our public mind's-eye, than maybe we could see the future in the light of our own local humanity of love and hope.

- Do you support an increase in funding to either the police or fire departments? What specifically do you have in mind? If you do propose an increase, where would you get the money? Keep in mind that a police officer costs at minimum $100,000 per year from the day they're hired to the day they pass away between salary, benefits and pension costs.

Increase salary funding should cease with the Police Department. No more hiring, until retirements of older vanguard. SBPD is fully hired. The SBPD receives 33+% of the General Fund of the City of Santa Barbara Operating Budget of $37,601,927.00 USA Dollars and those imposes financial liabilities that our costly to our future CalPERS and retirement benefits. The SBPD has 94 Officer Personnel that Total Gross Wages are Over $100K for CALENDAR YEAR 2012. This policy is out-of-balance and to a financial detriment to all other services for the City of SB. Also, this is not feasible fiscal policy that should compete with all of Santa Barbarians Public Service and Infrastructure future funding. The current City problems cab be dealt with.
To be fair, the SBFD has 81 Firefighter Personnel that Total Gross Wages are Over $100K for CALENDAR YEAR 2012. The SBFD receives 20% of the General Fund of the City of Santa Barbara Operating Budget, roughly FY 2014 proposed $22,553,615.00 USA Dollars. We need more diversity of employees within our fire department.
But, since the SBFD is under-hired and the fire department requires more funding than the prospective and proposed forms of generating taxpayer revenues and, at the same time, reducing city expenditures can consider the following financial measures to have our emergency preparation of Public Safety ready and prepared for all calls in the City of Santa Barbara.
Increase percentage of TOT (Bed) Tax, OIL Industry Tax, Increase Liquor Sales Tax, Decrease Future Pension Cost, Negotiate News Terms with State of California CALPERS, Measure Bond(s) measures for Public Service (adult and youth) and Public Infrastructure improvements, Apply for State of California grants, Apply for National Federal grants, Create local relationships with our community stakeholders to trans-economic-partnership among different entities to increase a city-wide economic development plan to maintain short-term and long-term economic objectives and financial goals under City Program No. #2112 and hire more authorized positions to implement City's Economic Development Plan (CEDP) to foster greater financial revenue gains (At this moment a one-third (1/3) of a person is currently employed, thus no plan exists.), Conduct an analysis with all City departments to reduce duplication of services and consolidate authorize positions for efficiency and salary cost-reducing expenditures, work directly with the Finance Committee of the City Council to study, investigate and than implement financial projects mentioned hereinabove, determine in FY2014 how the freed-up $14.1 Million in unencumbered bond proceeds will be spent from the DOF of RDA dissolution process for the General Fund, work-hand-in-hand with the City's Finance Director to get a insightful financial understanding of City's past economic models, modes of operations, and, execute in-depth training to be a responsible and prudent public steward of our taxpayer's wealth and revenues, update new revisions of the zoning ordinances, in order, to spark and make new business transactions with the Public and the City Planning Department for more business revenues, conduct a financial study of the Enterprise Funds to see points-of-sales transactions and future revenue potentials with greater or better service, and, lastly, work as a teamplayer with colleagues of the City Council to provide the best financial revenue measures and to be a public steward of our community's taxpayer wealth of the City of Santa Barbara, California. Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz. Thanks Noozhawk Readers for your Vote!

INFRASTRUCTURE:
- How would you address the problem of deferred maintenance to city resources? Where would the money come from to replace aging infrastructure of roads, sewer and water systems, parks and the like?-
- Do you support a policy to set aside money for capital improvements and maintenance money?

As highlighted in the last paragraph with the following financial measures proposed could be implemented to cure and work-out solutions to the aging problem of deferred maintenance of all our City's resources and public spaces. As a councilmember and a public servant, my candidacy priorities are three-fold. First, to reallocate and increase the Adult and Youth Services. Two, to increase the budget allotments to our Parks and Recreation Department and Public Infrastructure. Three, is to be a public steward that is prudent and fiscally responsible of our City's Operating Budget. The City of Santa Barbara's long-term plan to be drafted to deal with these problems needs to have core values that will maintain the $67 Million Dollars of unfunded deferred maintenance and capital improvement projects preserved for future generations and all Santa Barbarians. Yes, I would support a policy to set-aside taxpayers money for capital improvements and maintenance projects. Please see hereinabove last paragraph for additional comments for where additional funds can come from to support our city's infrastructure questions.

RDA LOSS AND BUSINESS CLIMATE:
-What do you propose the city does to make up for the loss of the Redevelopment Agency's efforts in the downtown core?

With the dissolution of the Redevelopment Agency law, the local leadership and stakeholders should be working with our California State Assembly Member Das Williams and State Senator to re-legislate the RDA. Concurrently, working with our Federal Congress Member Lois Capps to promote and garner more federal RDA funds to be granted to our local municipal jurisdiction.
In the General Fund there will be a one-time funds and bond proceeds that should be calculated in the RDA moneys that will be available on the FY 2014. In the anticipation of the approval by DOF of RDA dissolution process, this would free-up $14.1 Million USA Dollars in unencumbered bond proceeds for the FY 2014. This is very important how we use the last of the RDA funds for the overall benefit and service to all Santa Barbarians. The City staff will be holding separate workshops in early 2014 to determine how the RDA funds are to be used and it's critical to determine how future loss of RDA revenues will be made-up for and compensated during the discussions at these future workshops.

- How much would you support city funding toward tourism and marketing efforts by outside organizations like the Visit Santa Barbara group?

Since we have a new Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID), a Funk Zone, and the cultural sides of the Mesa, Eastside, Upper East, San Roque, Westside, and the Downtown districts require we give the same support and attention we collectively give to our tourist-based economy and city-industries of tourism. We have the City Arts Advisory (City Program No. 2113) and all it's stakeholders in the art community to enhance tourism through our local artist, events, and art festivals. We have the Community Promotions (City Program No. 9331) that enhances the tourism industry by promoting and support local grantee organizations with events and festivals. SB and Carpinteria generates fees from hotels in the cities and remit to the SB Conference and Vistors' Bureau and Film Commission on a on monthly basis. We need to tax the hotels and motels with increasing the TOT (Bed) tax to garner future support for new sources of funding that only inside organizations doing business in the City of Santa Barbara should be the City organizations we should support. This should be the normal practice of local support. Outside organizations controlling the affairs of the City is not welcomed nor needed when we have City programs that should be conducting this tourist marketing business.

- Recently, the city started hosting cruise ships. What other efforts should the city pursue to connect to regional tourists (who may already be passing through or are within easy weekend driving distance)?

If the City of Santa Barbara is hosting sea cruise ships, than we should be taxing for a landing and docking fee. The sea cruise ships and it's passengers can be a means to an end. The passengers that come off ships, partake in commerce, eateries, transportation, tours, etc. and provide added city revenues in sales tax and consumer merchandise purchased. In creating MOU's with the sea cruise ship agency, can be a financial incentive of all in Santa Barbara. We can not deny the four elements of Earth, Water, Fire-Sun, and Wind are in perfect harmony in our lovely City and therefore we should share our town with the world but keep our city from being controlled by the outer world. Keep Santa Barbara for Santa Barbarians! Que Viva Sta. Barbara! A'Ho Syukhtun!

- Would you support an increase of the city's transient occupancy tax rate? Why or why not?

Yes! Increase the percentage of Transient Occupancy Tax rate. Let's increase the TOT (bed) tax through public initiative and or legislate the new tax revenue policy from the City Council dais with a ¾ vote and earmark the revenues to be generated for Human Services and Public Infrastructure. I can take leadership in spearheading the formal committee or legal language to increase TOT tax rate. The Greater Santa Barbara Restaurant and Lodging Association, SB Chamber of Commerce, and Business Council did not invite to their organizations public candidate's forums because of my political position to have the business enterprises profiteers of Hotels, Motels, Bed and Breakfast, and Vacation Rentals pay a higher tax rate. FY 2012 in TOT tax revenues generated only $16,202,000.00 USA Dollars which has increased 15% percentage points from previous recession years.
In comparison to other tax revenues of Sales Tax at $21,084,894.00 USA Dollars and has increased 4.5% percentage points. Property tax for the City generated $25,475,500.00 USA Dollars and has remained constant but is the largest taxpayer money we give our local government to operate and perform services. When we look at the difference between the smaller amount of TOT tax in comparison with Sales or Property tax, than we can look at the financial pie chart and determine that the next logical financial step we need is to increase the TOT (Bed) Tax because it is disproportional to sales and property taxation. If we are a tourist based economy, than we should invest these tourism dollars into the city's human services and city's public infrastructure. Tourism dollars and profits in TOT tax can make the difference to build stronger community districts in the City of Santa Barbara.

SOCIAL ISSUES:
- How much do you think the city should support local social programs and services provided by outside organizations?

We should as a City government invest more in the CDBG Administration and Human Services (City Program No. 2121 and No. 2124) the ensures the basic Santa Barbarian needs of low-income individual(s) through the local community-based organizations and City social service department(s). Promote and allocate more city funding for City Program No. 2112, which is Economic Development that would promote external economic development activities in the City of Santa Barbara and generate revenues that can support local social programs. Outside organizations should be organization doing-business-as business entities in the City and County of Santa Barbara. Increase the budget allotment the Parks and Recreation Department that provides social services to the general public of Santa Barbara.

- What are your priorities for social program funding, including community development block grants?

In 2009, 2011, and, now, in 2013 my councilmember election candidacy is the same as previous social-civic positions. My candidacy's top priority is to increase the financial support of Adult and Youth Services to deal with youth violence, crime, and citizen's-without-home. Social service and the public good in politics is the wealth and richness of it's populace. My top priority will be my full attention to all of Santa Barbarians receiving the best public service possible. This is the leadership and all of my adult-life work in social service experience and SBCC and UCSB education in Business Administration, Political Science, and Chicana & Chicano Studies degrees makes me a perfect councilmember candidate to understand the civic challenges and individual pressures faced in our City. Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz! #6 on the Mail-Ballot.

- How would you approach homeless and transient services if you are elected?

As candidate for City Council, We need to interject the we would like creating new leadership with the executive director position at Casa Esperanza. Move the locations and the variety of services of Casa Esperanza in the City and in the County of SB. Hold the County First District Supervisor more accountable in dealing with the themes of citizen's-without-home and services for this sector of transient population. Work in conjunction and hand-in-hand with the local stakeholders and community members and existing-working committees for new civic solutions.

- How would you provide government access and representation for the Spanish-speaking community?

I, Cruzito Herrera Cruz, am the only fluent Spanish-speaking councilmember candidate in this 2013 Santa Barbara Municipal Election. My ability to be a representative of the Americano, Chicano, Mexican-American, and Latino communities has come to fruition because of my overall higher education experience, my entire adult-life working in the non-profit social service sector in Santa Barbara with my community, and my Familia work ethic in higher education. This has instilled in me, my personal political virtue that I can be a candidate the can develop and organize to gain greater access and formal representation of our Spanish-Speaking population of Santa Barbara. So be it, that our population in the City of SB reflects 40+% demographic that speaks Spanish. We should have that same political representation on the City Council Dais. City of Santa Barbara needs to implement Elections Code Section 14,026 (3)(b). "District-Based Elections" could help elect representatives that could speak the language of it's districts. This could have a positive effect in having more political equity under the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) within our City of Santa Barbara. If not, as a voter constituent that has had my past votes diluted because of the current at-large voting system and the fact the we live in a "racially-polarized" voting city than i can legally file suit under CVRA to change this electoral system that prevents candidates, such as myself, from winning elections. TBA to the judicial lawsuit for CVRA issues in the City of Santa Barbara, but we still need political equality for Americanos, who speak Spanish. At the present time, there is no one that speaks Spanish on the Council. Spanish surname(s) is just a token for appreciation and an illusion we have access and City Council representation.

OTHER:
- List your age and neighborhood you live in:

Cruzito Herrera Cruz is four decades young! Born and raised and educated in Santa Barbara. I have lived all teenager years and my adult life on Olive Street and on the Eastside of Santa Barbara. As a native of SB, Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz!

- How long you have lived in Santa Barbara; why you moved here/stayed here:

Cruzito Herrera Cruz has lived his beautiful life in Santa Barbara all four decades. Santa Barbara will be the only city in my life that I will live in and so I am doing life in Santa Barbara! Vote Cruzito Herrera Cruz.

- How much would you be working while serving as council member?

If elected as councilmember, my work schedule as a councilmember will consist if working 50+ plus workable hours/per week and much more to serving than be served. My candidate's responsibilities and duties of councilmember will be my top priority before my personal interests and economic gain opportunities. Cruzito Herrera Cruz will be responsive and mindful public servant, public steward, and public representative that takes the Council Office with all seriousness and dedication to improving the very fabric that makes Santa Barbara the special place on earth that is Ours, Yours, and all Santa Barbarians. Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz! #6 on the Voter Mail-Ballot. Blessings and thank you Readers of NoozHawk...