Time for a Shared Vision of Unity, Understanding : Mayor’s race: Ethnic harmony, good schools, safe streets, clean air--these all are vital to our city’s future.

George Bush referred to it as “The Vision Thing.” A candidate’s perspective of how he or she views the future of the people of the community, the state, the country, is a glimpse into where the candidate wants to take his or her ideas and how those ideas will shape the look of the future and the day-to-day living of the citizens.

We have to strive for racial harmony. All voices must feel included and empowered--all neighbors, all neighborhoods--with a city of unity as our single agenda. Without it, we will always be pitting ethnic groups against each other for jobs, housing, excuses to blame. Understanding one another’s culture, attitudes, problems is vital. When we care, we can see how much we have in common.

We need a city of mighty, modern transportation. A sleek subway system, electric cars and easy access. We need fast, cost-effective transportation available to all our residents. Crime, violence and lawlessness will not be tolerated in Los Angeles. It’s the bane of big city living, and we must act decisively to cast off its shadow of fear and intimidation in our lives. When that is done, this city will grow and prosper enormously.

We must halt the ridiculous wasteful government spending in which taxpayer money is siphoned off for endless studies and litigation, and years go by before anything concrete is done--if ever. Significant reform must be made reality, rather than just words to mollify the voter.

We need a city of environmentally sound principles. Los Angeles should be smog-free, with strong pollution controls. We should care for the cleanliness and the natural grounds of our parks, our streets. We should use all precautions in the water we drink and the air we breathe, and, through recycling, use nothing only once.

We need for parents to feel pride in the accomplishments of their sons and daughters in public schools. These schools must bring out the best in young people: schools that educate, teachers who care.

We have resolutions to the problems of affordable housing, medical care, utilities, daily needs for all. Los Angeles is capable of doing it, and my leadership will make it happen.

The mayor of Los Angeles cannot accomplish miracles. We will never have perfection in our city, but we should never give up trying for it. Our concerns are mutual concerns, our values our mutual values, our hopes are the same. We share our doubts, our troubles, our pain, and we also share our growth, our wealth. “The Vision Thing,” after all, is “Our Vision.”