Hi, my name is George Pariona; and I am running for Mayor.
THE REASON
I am a resident of Lancaster since 1993 and I like my city, but since sometime ago, I've see
Lancaster deteriorating, crime has increased a lot, streets are not safer anymore, neighborhoods
are becoming filthy, and the people at City Council don't along with each other. I would like to
change that.
THE ISSUES
NEW HOMES
Lancaster has been blessed with plenty of land, but does not mean that we are going to build
homes and buildings without any regards for our environment; let's keep Lancaster a Desert City.
We don't need the construction of more new homes, we already have enough, the more empty homes, the less the value of our properties, it is the Law of Supply and Demand; we know that, we feel it every day, but the builders and developers seem to ignore that.
Water is becoming difficult to obtain in the Antelope Valley, and the City Council is still allowing the construction of new homes? We have to stop that or at least slow it down until there are no more empty homes and the water supply has been resolved.
Because of the low property value, owners are renting their properties, some rent to low income families using the Section 8 Program, unfortunately this program has a tendency to attract the wrong type of crowd to Lancaster.We need a strong leadership in City Hall, to tell Los Angeles "SEND NO MORE SECTION 8 RESIDENTS TO LANCASTER".
While the County does that, we locally, will place a special tax on home owners who rent using the Section 8 Program; I am sorry, but we have to protect our city. We will also place some restrictions on these residents, they have to be attending school or looking for work, and the property they occupy should be the cleanest of the block. Its one thing is to be poor and another to be poor and lazy. I have nothing against honest Section 8 users, but there are some abusers.
The Section 8 Program is to be used for a season only, not for ever, if you use Section 8 as a way of life, then you will become slave of the system. I don't want my people to be slaves; I want my people to be free, independant and self sufficient.
FAMILIES
The City Council has been so busy with builders and developers, that they have forgotten about the people, the very essence of a community. When families are strong, then the community is strong, when families are unattended, then the community becomes weak, even the whole nation.
We must protect and defend our families, what good it is to have a fancy mall or a beautiful building, if parents are afraid to send their children to school and families are moving out of Lancaster because of crime.
Families come first, then builders and developers.
I wish we could celebrate Family Day in Lancaster. I wish we could select a family, husband and wife, once a year, to represent the families of Lancaster for 365 days until a new family is selected.
We can do it.
We have an election coming in April, if elected, I will become your Mayor, but I will be more than your Mayor, I will become your pioneer, I will show you the way to go; but I will be more than your pioneer, I will be your leader, a good leader never lead his people stray or through crooked roads; but I will be more than your leader, I will be your father, and a Father sometimes gives instructions that you might not like it, but i will be for your own good.
I will increase tax on liquor and alcoholic beverages, we have too many accidents caused by drunken drivers, we have too much domestic violence because of liquor consumption. Same thing for tobacco, I am against anything that is not good for your body, I want you to be free and not slave of bad habits.
I was checking the internet the other day, it is very sad and scary to see the many sexual predators living withing the city of Lancaster. All of these sexual predators started by looking at pornographic magazines, they thought it was fun, but then they got hooked on their habits, and now their lives are destroyed.
Yes, I will increased tax on pornographic material.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
We live in a time of natural disasters, earthquakes, floods, fires, hurricanes, tsunamis, droughts, wars and rumors of war; the City of Lancaster has an emergency plan, its collecting dust up on the shelves. It is time to have a drill and test it and see how we can improve it.
If elected Mayor, I will advise to acquire 4 lots, one in each corner of the city, and build a building on each lot, to be used as storage, on one we could storage water and food, on the other one first aid kits and medicines, on the other one clothing and equipment and so on. When emergency comes, we will be prepared, by the time federal help arrives, we will have already taken care of our own people, we will be self sufficient. And if we are sparred from tragedy but tragedy strikes another city, then Lancaster could be the first city to send help; we the people of Lancaster are ready to help our fellow men; we have 3 airports nearby, let's use them.
PAROLEES
Recently the governor announced that he will release 20 thousand inmates, because there is no room in jail, I doubt a portion of the 20 thousand will be sent to Beverly Hills, most likely they wil be sent to our city. We need a strong leadership, to tell Sacramento,"SEND NO MORE PAROLEES TO LANCASTER", we already got a lot of parolees and guys on probation in our mist.
If elected Mayor, I will meet withour State Representatives, and will try to introduce a bill or a law, to state that every time an inmate is about to be released, arrangements should be made to send that person back to the city where he came from; that way parolees from San Diego should go to San Diego, the one from San Francisco to San Francisco, the one from Lancaster to Lancaster and shall not be allowed to move out for 3 years.- We have an obligation to take care of our own people. As a Mayor, I will be the Mayor of all the citizens of Lancaster, not just the rich and famous but also of the sick and afflicted, I can not turn my back on them, they are the ones who would need me the most.
The construction on new and bigger jails are not the solution to crime, we have to work with the people, when a baby cries is because she is is need of some attention; when our young peopl behaves in an strange way, is because something is missing in their lives, we have to help them find the right way; we have to counsel with our people before they do things that might make their life more difficult.
SECURITY
I would like to see more police officers on the streets of Lancaster, However before I bring 10 more officers in then ask you for more money to pay their wages, I will sit down with Captain Deeley to find our where are the 100 officers assigned to Lancaster are! Are they sick? Are they on disability? Why does it takes so long when we call them? I see some patrol cars going up and down the main streets, but the also need to take the side streets to see how the rest of the neighborhood is doing. We need to see them more often and feel secure, they need more visibility. I will push for a walking crew, to watch over us and to talk to us, specially our youth. I think a policeman could be a guardian who prevents rather than a guardian who punishes.
Several weeks ago I was driving through Lancaster and I need to make a turn, I stopped and noticed a policeman in a motorcycle, I looked at him, he looked at me, he didn't say anything, so I went ahead with my move, suddenly there he was, with his flashing lights, giving me a ticket. I think this could be avoided, if he would tell me , don't do it, don't do it, go that way, go that way. It is better to prevent than to cure.
RETURNING VETERANS
There is a war going on Iraq, and probably another will start in Iran, our soldiers comes and go, and few notice them, we read that veterans are becoming homeless people, and that there is a high percentage of suicides among them; sometimes at City Hall they offer a moment of silence, but a veteran can not eat a moment of silence, neither can a mpment of silence pay his bills, what a returning veteran needs are 3 things :
HE NEEDS A FRIEND, somebody to talk to and to listen to his needs. As Mayor, I will be one of the first ones to welcome him and I will invite other to come along, citizens we have a job to do.
HE NEEDS TO CONTINUE HIS EDUCATION, I as a Mayor, will contact schools of learning, to have always an empty desk waiting for the returning veteran, if the veteran comes back after semester has started, it's ok, he should still be allowed to register and attend class.
HE NEEDS A JOB, there is no time to waste, I will talk to business owners and places of employment to have a job, waiting for the veteran, he comes today he works tomorrow type,we have to show our appreciation, after all they were about to give their lives for us, we have to be grateful.
We could also open up a fund, a "Veteran's Fund", independant from the City Budget, in which residents could donate money to be used exclusively for the benefit of the returning veteran, to take care of some emergenciesas he adjust to civilian life.
BUDGET
This year we are in trouble with the budget, they made unrealistic expectations, counting on he sale of new homes.
We won't have new construction for a while and sales tax is depleting, so we have to learn to live within our means.
I will meet with each department head and have everything over the table, and check what is working and what is not performing, and make some changes accordingly. I don't anticipate a need to fire or lay off personnel but to move them where they can produce the most
If we elect a leadership which is easy with money, we will be in deep trouble. We need a leadership which is tied with money, and who thinks twice, trice and even four times before making a large expenditure, and someone who consults with the residents before the decision is made.
If elected, my administration won't be easy for you, I will require your participation, I will request your advise often, we could have a meeting every 3 months or so, to report to you, to ask you, "How am I doing"?
My understanding of accountability is to get an assignment and then come back and report, get an assignment and come back to report, as a way of check and balance.
There are about 8 persons running for Mayor, I will never say that I am the best candidate of them, they have their own skills and talents, you make the choice.
But this much I will tell you, if you elect someone because of his years of experience or high education, you will be electing a king; history tells me that, the day after elections, he will forget about you, when time comes to make a big decision, he will use his experience and high education to make decisions for you, all on his own.
On the other hand, if you elect a humble and honest man, even with no higher education, you will be electing a servant, you will be his boss, he will come to you for advise, he will be your representative.
So, don't vote for what he is, vote for what he might become.
You make your decision
Thank you very much
