Campaign Statement

By Ricardo Ortiz

Our biggest issues and why vote for Ricardo

It is very exciting to have this much interest for this race and it tells us that our democratic process in the City of Burlingame is alive and well. I am happy to be part of this race and I look forward to sharing my views with you.

My wife Lauren and I moved to Burlingame 20 years ago shortly before my eldest was born. We bought a beautiful home on Oak Grove Avenue and after a few years, we received notice of a proposed building on Floribunda directly behind our house. This would completely take away our privacy so I showed up to the Planning Commission meeting to voice my concern. I soon learned a lesson in zoning laws and decided to move. In 1998, we found a great spot in Ray Park. It was a small house so we added on in 2001. The experience with the Planning Commission and our own issues with building and architectural review made me curious about the politics behind it all. Soon I found myself working on various campaigns and learning the way decisions were made. The more I learned, the more interested I became in Burlingame.

There are many reasons we all love Burlingame and they are as unique as each one of us. Lauren and I have built some very strong relationships through the years starting with our great neighbors on Oak Grove, followed by our Our Lady of Angels family, our Lincoln family, softball, baseball, Ray Park, AYSO, Rotary and more recently, our BHS drama family. We have great friends in town. This is what makes Burlingame our home and a great place to raise our family.

I love our trees. I love our quaint neighborhoods. I love our parks and schools. I love our commercial areas. Burlingame is very special place and part of one of the most desirable metropolitan areas in the world. We have great weather. We are close to education, jobs, BART/Caltrain and San Francisco International. We have the great fortune of having our hotels on the bayside as well as the many dealerships on auto row generating large amounts of revenue to the City.

Looking ahead, there are huge forces acting to change Burlingame. The scarcity of land has put immense pressure to move to high-density projects. In the past, we have designated areas for this kind of growth in the north end and the downtown area. These areas were chosen in part for their proximity to transportation corridors in order to reduce the use of cars. Many neighboring commercial areas have stagnated and are slowly dying. Others have rejuvenated and reinvented themselves. Downtown Redwood City and downtown San Mateo are now vibrant when a few years ago, they were in fast decline. Our downtown is undergoing huge change with our streetscape project that will make Burlingame Avenue the envy of our neighbors. We must continue to rejuvenate our downtown and we need to remember the direction presented by the Downtown Specific Plan. We have great examples of how we can respect history but allow for continued renewal. We have a unique opportunity to create something special with the post office property where history, parking, housing, open space and retail can all be incorporated. I applaud the efforts to find creative solutions with the understanding that developers need to see a profit in order to enter into joint ventures with the City.

High Speed Rail continues to cause headaches around town. The impact to our neighborhoods and auto row would be significant and we need to insist on an underground solution if it ever becomes reality. The powers in Sacramento seem intent on pushing the project in spite of opposition and law suits. They have gone so far as to argue that CEQA does not apply to the project. We need to fight for the best (no HSR) but we also need to prepare for the possibility that it will come. For many, the grade separation recently completed in San Bruno is unacceptable and we must stand firm for something better. One way or another, we must have grade separation at Broadway and I will work for a solution that is not a permanent eyesore.

Traffic will be an issue that needs to be addressed. Construction is finally underway on the Broadway interchange and this will be welcome news for businesses in the bay front; however, new construction at the old drive-in site and condos on Peninsula will put huge pressure on the on/off ramp at Poplar Avenue. An already congested approach will become impossible and commuters looking to find their way to and from southbound 101 will end up cutting through our neighborhoods to find alternatives. Poplar is inadequate now and will be more so in the future. We need to work with Caltrans and the City of San Mateo to find a better solution. Also, the very narrow portion of Airport Blvd. between Broadway and Anza will feel a lot of pressure from commuters moving to Burlingame Point.

Once we have lived here, we all find the charm is an inescapable draw. But what is drawing families is the quality of our schools. Renters and owners alike are paying a large premium to give their kids a great education. I will work with the schools to provide safe streets and collaboration to provide after school programs for our kids. I do it because I believe that educating our youth is an investment in our future and because our property values are dependent on the reputation of our school districts. Much will be said in this race about our fiscal responsibility and the burden of pension and medical benefits for our City employees. This is a very important issue and steps have been taken to address it. As tax revenues begin to rise with an improving economy, the danger is that we will once again ignore the elephant in the room and find other issues to work on. I will not be distracted. Without steps now, this problem will snowball and we will find ourselves unable to live up to our commitment to past and current employees. Fiscal discipline must be maintained.

On the other hand, we must maintain the quality of our City services and hiring quality employees does this. The quality of our services is as good as the quality of our employees. We need to provide adequate compensation to continue to attract qualified workers and we benefit when they live close to town.

Burlingame is part of a large metropolitan area that has its own regional problems. These problems require that we sit with our neighbors to work on solutions. If global warming brings about a rise in sea levels, solutions will require regional action. Global environmental issues require local action. If High Speed Rail becomes a reality, we will need to work with many different entities to bring about grade separation that does not destroy our City. Many years ago, we began the process of sharing services with Hillsborough and other neighbors. This process must continue. Crime does not stop at Peninsula Avenue to our South or Murchison Drive to the North, it is a regional problem and we need to work with the whole county to address it. Issues of affordable housing will also require cooperation to find creative ways to meet our mandates.

Why do I run? Because I believe in Burlingame. I want to protect its charm while allowing for renewal and revitalization. Because it's a great place to raise a family and our schools and open areas need to be nurtured to keep it that way. Because we have a strong tax base from our hotels and auto dealers and I want to keep it growing. Because we need to maintain the balance that has made this a great community.

Why Ricardo? Because of demonstrated leadership in multiple community organizations. Because I can bring together people from all walks of life, ages, religions to collaborate and get things done. Because of a long-term commitment to Burlingame. Because I bring the financial acumen from 20 years in banking to control costs. Others will say that they are the only ones with a strong record of community service but when you scratch the surface, their commitment has been short or their causes very narrow.