SAN DIEGO COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Four for the City Council

Here is a summary of The Times’ recommendations in the four San Diego City Council races on today’s ballot:

DISTRICT 2: Councilman Ron Roberts.

Roberts, an architect, has a broad perspective and deserves credit for keeping attention focused on the need for a new regional airport. Whether or not his “TwinPorts” idea for a border airport shared with Tijuana ever happens, at least it’s a viable idea with an active patron, which is more than other sites have. Challenger Rich Grosch, a former City Council aide, is more limited in scope and experience. Loch David Crane, a magician, is a less-than-serious candidate.

DISTRICT 4: Councilman Wes Pratt.

Pratt has successfully made the move from supervisorial and Assembly aide to elected representative. He deserves credit for shepherding the establishment of the Housing Trust Fund. He is also better connected to the business Establishment than opponent George Stevens, which should make it easier for him to address the district’s serious economic problems.

DISTRICT 6: Challenger Valerie Stallings.

Stallings, a Salk Institute researcher who serves on the Pacific Beach Community Planning Committee and Pacific Beach Town Council, lacks in-depth knowledge of many city issues. But she understands that there are no simple answers to complex problems, and she is credited with being a hard worker and a quick study. She is more sympathetic to environmental concerns than incumbent Bruce Henderson. And she is less likely to use tactics that can hamper efforts to reach well-reasoned agreements on important issues.

DISTRICT 8: Councilman Bob Filner.

Filner, a former history professor and school board member, shows a keen understanding of citywide issues and has proven to be a hard worker for his district. He also has a strong environmental record. Andrea Palacios Skorepa, a social service agency executive and chairwoman of a citywide police-community relations committee, is also a strong candidate, but she cannot match Filner’s experience.