SAN DIEGO COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Four Endorsements in Escondido

Four years ago, Escondido voters put the brakes on runaway growth by electing a “slow-growth” majority to City Hall. Essentially, that coalition remains in place today, including Mayor Jerry Harmon.

This year’s election is something of a replay of that pivotal 1988 campaign--only this time voters have a track record by which to judge the reformers. Despite doom-and-gloom predictions, Escondido has sensibly controlled growth without suffering an economic meltdown.

Yes, growth has slowed--but not because of Harmon’s voting bloc. The real culprit is the national recession. And, if City Hall has become “anti-business,” there are few signs of it in the municipal budget. Income from business license fees is up , and Escondido has a $6-million budget reserve.

Harmon and the other slow-growth incumbents on the ballot--Carla DeDominicis and Rick Foster--appear to have learned some economic realities from the recession. They now call for job creation and “enterprise zones” to revitalize the city’s struggling downtown. The council has also supported the bold move to build a $74-million Center for the Arts downtown.

The mayor’s post and three of four council seats are up for election on Tuesday’s ballot. Harmon is running against only token opposition--P. K. (Patricia) Walker, a self-employed bookkeeper and losing City Council candidate in 1988. DeDominicis and Foster, both of whom have grown in office, are running strong, issue-oriented campaigns.

Hoping to land the open third seat in the race, Kevin Thomas, a graphics studio owner, is campaigning as a bridge between the city and business owners. But his endorsement by Harmon has hurt him with the business community. A better bridge would be Elmer Cameron, a retired educator. Cameron served 21 years with the Escondido Elementary School District and earned high marks from all sides during a volatile labor dispute with the teachers union. His conflict-resolution skills would be a welcome addition to the Escondido City Council.

The Times endorses Jerry Harmon for Escondido mayor and Elmer Cameron, Carla DeDominicis and Rick Foster for City Council.