Due to the sexual assault scandal of former mayor Bob Filner, San Diegans have an opportunity to replace the corrupt mayor in a special election. San Diego residents need to elect a mayor focused on rebuilding the integrity of an office that has been riddled with accusations of pay-for-play, campaign bribery, and sexual misconduct.
San Diegans have a clear decision in this upcoming election to elect Kevin Faulconer, a Point Loma resident, Senior Councilman, and Audit Committee Chairman as our next mayor. Faulconer touts a record of bipartisan leadership working across the aisle to ensure San Diego moves forward in creating a beautiful city with vast opportunity and promise. Kevin has worked hard, along with former mayor Jerry Sanders, to design a pension reform plan that will save the city a billion dollars over the next 10 years. Money saved in this reform will be used to rebuild the city’s failing infrastructure, paving hundreds of miles of new roads and funding other similar local initiatives outlined in Faulconer’s “Neighborhoods First Plan.”
Faulconer will also work to allocate funds towards improving police and fire response times by rebuilding both departments that have had recent difficulties with recruitment, retention, and funding. Faulconer will pursue joint-use agreements with the school district to expand quality education opportunities for all. Faulconer will also make it a budget priority to increase library and recreation center hours so that children in our community have access to a safe and productive environment after school.
Faulconer has stated that economic viability is crucial for this city to thrive; therefore, it is his plan to streamline government operations and city construction contracting, protect green jobs, cut regulations, and lower permit costs.
Faulconer will seek to expand the San Diego Convention Center, creating nearly 7,000 new jobs. Protecting current jobs is also a priority for Faulconer, who is standing up for 46,000 ship builders whose jobs his opponent and Filner’s progressive protégé, David Alvarez, seeks to cut.
For Faulconer, running for mayor is important because we need integrity restored to our community, a community that Faulconer shares with his wife and two children. Faulconer isn’t looking to be a centerpiece on the news like Filner, he is looking to advocate for the middle-class and make our neighborhoods better places to live.
Faulconer’s support system spans the political spectrum and his campaign is financed mostly through individual donors. Faulconer is not beholden to special interest while Alvarez has received 85% of his campaign contributions through the same labor unions that nearly bankrupted San Diego 10 years ago and worked to get Filner elected. It is time for San Diego to step up and make the right choice. I strongly urge you to vote for Kevin Faulconer, to become the next mayor of San Diego.
Justin Vos is a senior education major and the president of the College Republicans club. He is a “political hack, foodie, enthusiast, music snob” and loves sports.
Grace Chaves 
Noah Shaw