This is an archive of a past election.
See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/sba/ for current information.
Santa Barbara County, CA November 5, 2013 Election
Smart Voter

Santa Barbara View IS CENSORING and not posting Candidate Cruzito Herrera Cruz's Answers on SB View Website...

By Cruzito Herrera Cruz

Candidate for Councilmember; City of Santa Barbara

This information is provided by the candidate
These are the questions to my answers with Santa Barbara View that has censored and sometimes published my answers, therefore i submit this political position paper for posterity purposes because of the political censoring! c/s...
TEN Questions NINE Answered for the City Council Candidates

1. What will you do to reclaim State Street? No Answer. Enforce the municipal rules.

2. Are City pensions a problem? Simon. Si. Ya. Wei Wei. Yes, there is a financial dilemma problem with City's pensions and contractual terms with CALPERS. Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz.

3. What new revenue sources do you envision for 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 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 Sta. Barbara, California. Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz. Thanks.

4. Do you think there are too many or too few resources for Santa Barbara's homeless? What would you change? Casa Esperanza services should-be decentralized and there should be a leadership change because the current leader has failed to operate a solvent and financial viable organization. This organization should give different services for a variety of societal themes (substance abuse, mental illness, medical circumstances, poverty status, and, the lack-of-public-resources to continue the day kitchen program is the fault of the director) but the lack-thereof-from-county and city representative(s) has created a continued politicized problem without real solutions in the First District for the County and within the municipality of the City of Sta. Barbara. Furthermore, from the allotted Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for fiscal year 2014, this organization has received a disproportionate amount of grantee funds in comparison to the other human services organizations in the City that had applied for CDBG funds. We need to move Casa Esperanza away from the Milpas Street Corridor and divide the different services which require different forms of services and at different separate locations. State, County, City services could improve to empower, integrate, and populate our Citizens, Youths, and Veterans from homelessness. Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz.

5. What level of priority will you assign to infrastructure repairs of sidewalks, curbs and storm drains that our neighborhoods need, and have been ignored in favor of brick sidewalks downtown and "traffic calming" projects? My councilmember candidacy is generally representing the follow three priorities in regards to municipality themes that need to be improved and maintained to a greater and higher standard as a public servant. The three general campaigning themes are the following: (1.) Address Public Adult and Youth Services. (2.) Improve the City's Public Infrastructure (streets, housing, libraries, lights, etc.), and, (3.) Reasonable and Responsible of City Operating Budget and included to finding programmatic financial solutions to the unfunded pension liability and how to sustain and increase and enhance our services with respect to the first two objectives as mentioned hereinabove. Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz. Thanks.

6. How will you limit any new increased density development to only those neighborhoods who ask for it, instead of imposing it from the top down? The newly drafted General Plan is imposing density development on the Westside and Eastside communities of Sta. Barbara from the top down. The residents, renters, and neighborhoods home-owners have mentioned that the "general plan" will have a exponential effect in the demographic size growing three-times where density development is built, it will create more traffic problems and parking, and it will require more need for employment and housing stock to increase that is low-income or equitable housing. Gentrification of economics, education, and social status will continue to the detriment of our overall health and wealth of the City. Our working class and low-income communities did not ask for this, this "general plan" was imposed upon our communities. The lack thereof of political representation from the Americano (Mexican-American, Chicano, etc...) sector of the community on the past Santa Barbara City Council Dais has allowed for some limits to exist in some parts of the City through historic preservation themes where in other parts of the City there is no limitation to build dense developments and at the expense of locally owned single-story family homes and small business owners. My duty is to display equitable treatment for all Sta. Barbarian's property rights and renter's rights. Protection of the right to live in peace is extremely important and would be observed throughout the City and in all the neighborhoods future construction project(s). Vote from Cruzito Herrera Cruz. Thanks.

7. What will you do to help local, small business retailers stay in Santa Barbara? Improve the relationships with the local small business owners. Listen, in-take information, and initiate and create a local economic summit with all local stakeholders to develop tools, resources, and objectives of a future City-Wide Master Economic Development Plan. (CW MEDP) Each part of the SB has it's distinct business retailer's business ideas and concerns. Promote the City Program No. 2112 + Economic Development. At this moment, there is only a ¼ of an authorized employee in this position. The mission of the program is to "coordinate implementation of the City's Economic Development Plan and the City's response to economic development efforts in the community." This would ensure the communication and participation of all the stakeholders to build economic development consensus and this would fulfill the City's role in actually initiating external economic development activities. The time has come in the zoning and planning process historical evolution and departmental status to be evaluated in how and methods of the local permitting and housing and business development process is executed and performed with rendered services, especially, with regards to efficiencies and service of effectiveness or not? Public input would be requested. In being able to programmatically understand the overall service performance measurements of the zoning and planning department as a whole, than I would not be able to constructively formulate solutions without more information, but this could be a start to enhancing and being more of a responsive government that changes to local economy and evolves with the business market and empowers local business owners is what I would work for as a public steward on Sta. Barbara City Council. Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz. Thanks.

8. Which candidates will you be voting for in this race? In this race I shall be voting for Cruzito Herrera Cruz. I am number #6 on the mail-in ballot. For vote Cruzito Herrera Cruz. I am a native of Santa Barbara and would be honor to earn your vote. Your vote is your voice! Su voz es su voto! Vote from Cruzito Herrera Cruz. Thanks.

9. What uniquely qualifies you to be on the Santa Barbara City Council? Cruzito Herrera Cruz was able to comply with SB City Charter Section 1304. Nominations of Candidate that I accomplished with much thanks to all one hundred eighty-eight (188) nomination petition signers. My qualification uniquely arose because as a candidate for elective City office I be proposed by the filing of my nomination papers signed by not less than one hundred (100) nor more than two hundred (200) registered voters. Only one (1) candidate may be named in any one (1) nomination paper. No voter may sign more than one (1) nomination paper for the same office, and in the event she/he does so his/her signature shall count only on the first nomination paper filed which contains his signature. Nomination papers subsequently filed and containing his/her signature shall be considered as though her/his signature does not appear thereon. Any person registered to vote may circulate a nomination paper. (Approved by election held June 4, 1974.) Furthermore, as a citizen and voter in this American democracy and our constitutional-representative government has given all of us the universal suffrage right to mobilize the vote for the common public good + it's citizenry. Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz. Thanks.

10. Name three Santa Barbara people, past or present, who have influenced your views. First, it has to be Gran Professor Emeritus Don Luis Leal at 103 Years young. (RIP 1907-2010...c/s...) Don Luis Leal was a profound university scholar, both domestically and internationally, the countless recognitions would require much more time to academically explain and Don Luis Leal is in the Guinness Book of World Records for most published books and, for me, personally for his unwavering support and dream realization of the Third Edition Project and republication of El Plan de Santa Barbara + A Chicano/a Plan for Higher Education book. Secondly, I would have to say my loving Mother Marcelina Herrera. Her auto-determination, her love and support in life's virtues, and teachings to better one's self with lucha and ganas for education is the dream of all mother's in America and good bless my father Trinidad, also! Lastly and with much carnalismo carino, to my best friend and god-brother, Roberto Esparza Jr., one-day we will cross caminos and laugh and chill like we have done so in SB. This is how we do it! Vote for Cruzito Herrera Cruz. Thanks.

Please respond via email to editor@santabarbaraview.com at your earliest convenience. Also include a hi-resolution photo and URL(s) to your campaign website(s) or social media accounts.

Next Page: Position Paper 3

Candidate Page || Feedback to Candidate || This Contest
November 2013 Home (Ballot Lookup) || About Smart Voter


ca/sba Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 28, 2013 07:40
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund.
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.