(Photo by Provide Commerce)

Dear friends,

Eight years ago, this March, my wife and I moved to San Diego. Since then, we have come to love this city very much, and we cannot imagine ever moving anywhere else. We want to see this beloved city thrive without losing the quality of life that makes San Diego very special.

I am sure you are aware of what is happening to NYC, LA and San Francisco. We are very concerned that San Diego could become like those cities.

To prevent this from happening, who we will elect to become our mayor this year is a crucial decision that will impact this city's future.

An ineffective city hall that has no strategic vision, beholden to the old-line Sacramento politics and special interest groups will surely take us down this downward spiral.  

Read this excerpt from SF Chronicle op/ed below -

“Millionaires and billionaires and Uber drivers and Google buses. All the problems that were here before got worse: traffic, housing prices. Even in the good old days, there was a Skid Row. Now the beggars, drug addicts, and lost souls are all over the city.

To cope with these problems, the citizens have continued to elect weak city governments, all built on compromise and deals with competing pressure groups. At City Hall, everybody is responsible for everything, and nobody is responsible for anything.

To make a complex problem worse, the city has so many rules and regulations that it has become nearly impossible to build anything. And the city desperately needs new housing. San Francisco has the highest building costs in the country. Architects and builders say it costs an average of $650,000 to build an ordinary San Francisco home these days. Even affordable housing is not affordable.

The city is out of control. Traffic is a mess, but it’s rare to see a traffic control officer. Trucks are double-parked everywhere. The city is dirty — a friend just back from Mexico City was astounded to find the streets there far cleaner than the ones in her native city. There is so much human waste on the streets of San Francisco the city formed a “poop patrol” where workers are paid $71,000 a year, about same as the average schoolteacher.”

We cannot afford to elect another political hack to lead our city.  We need someone who can cut through the political clutter, set the right strategy, and make things happen.

This is why I am going to support Barbara Bry.  While I do not agree with her on all issues, I sincerely believe that she is the candidate who can help grow San Diego while preserving our quality of life.

I hope that you will join me.  Here’s a one-pager on what Barbara stands for and what she will make happen when she becomes the mayor.

Barbara doesn't have the political establishment support, which is also another reason I support her. If you see the opportunity that I do, please help Barbara and contribute whatever you are able and willing.

Finally, please watch this compelling PBS video: we still have time to protect San Diego.

Chris Shimojima
Founder . C5 Advisory