The homeless? The poor condition of our streets? Warehouses? Better jobs? Crime? Education? These issues are on most of the candidates for mayors' lists, but they aren't on my list. Here are my thoughts on the most common issues candidates use to get your vote. Come back to see what I think Moreno Valley's Top Issues are.
Homelessness. Every city would like to eliminate their homeless population, including all of Moreno Valley. However, as we are seeing, it's not a problem without a quick fix. I will never forget when I was doing "Man on the Street" interviews for MVM Facebook Community page. I spoke with two homeless men living on top of Snake Mountain (Lasselle/Alessandro.) They loved living there and just wanted to be left alone. But other homeless aren't not like that. They might be on the street with kids or have mental illness or addictions that need interventions.
There isn't a one-size-fits all solution. That means it will take a dedicated team reaching out to them and providing the social services and resources available to help them get off the streets.
Street improvements. Supposedly, the city has FINALLY allocated a large sum of money back to street repair. Will it be done correctly? Only time will tell. The secret is having a street maintenance program that identifies the most needy and traveled streets in need of repair. It also means not letting another10 years go by and do nothing but fill potholes.
Stopping warehouses. Gotta love the warehouse issue. It never goes away. No one loves traffic and the damage heavy trucks that cause damage to our roadways. But they do bring jobs and do not use a lot of city services like houses do. They are also usually well-maintained and are low-crime areas. With the economy cooling down, so will the demand for distribution centers. I suggest we make lemonade from our lemons. The City of Redlands charges a small warehouse tax on their facilities. Maybe we should do the same thing but earmark the money for something we really need, that is decided up by the residents of Moreno Valley, and not just the city council. What a concept!
Jobs. So called "better jobs" will happen when we have a workforce that matches the skillset that high-paying employers are looking for. Nothing more. Nothing less. That's why the Silicon Valley is the Silicon Valley.
Crime. We cannot talk about crime unless we also address law enforcement. At a recent Candidates' Forum, I was the only person to suggest we look into creating our police department. I'm not saying we need to cut our ties with Riverside County Sheriff's Department; however, I do think we need to begin a discussion on what is best financially and in reducing crime when it comes to law enforcement.
Education. DO NOT vote for any candidate who says on they are going to improve schools. That is NOT the city council's domain. That candidate is just feeding you a line of bull because they know improving schools is an issue that resonates with voters.