Talk About Issues

The November elections are over and some bitterly contested races have been decided by the voters. Bob Filner, who currently holds the 8th District seat on the San Diego City Council, won the 50th Congressional race and now a special election will be called to choose who will serve the remainder of Filner’s four-year term.

District 8 is the poorest of all the city’s districts. Our 81% ethnic majority population is 62% Hispanic, 10% Asian-Pacific Islander and 9% African-American.

Unemployment in some of our neighborhoods has reached 20% to 30% and crime is becoming endemic. Our new representative must make jobs and economic development a top priority and insist residents have adequate police protection. We need better educational opportunities for our children and safe recreational facilities.

In the past, District 8 has been a dumping ground for undesirable developments, polluting industries, residential-care facilities, prison work-furlough facilities, and now even a proposed noisy regional airport. It will take a tough councilperson to stand up to those who would gladly dump them into the community with the least political clout.

How this race is conducted will be critical to the interests of district residents. It is a shame that several campaigns this past election became so bogged down with name calling, personal attacks and character assassinations. The citizens of San Diego were the big losers in those races because their issues were put on the back burner while the candidates slugged it out on the airwaves.

Anything short of in-depth discussions of real issues and solutions would be a disservice to our community.

DENISE MORENO DUCHENY

San Diego